Neighborhood walkability and active ageing: A difference in differences assessment of active transportation over ten years

The effects of neighborhood morphology and walkability over active travel patterns of ageing older adults are still largely unknown. We used a difference-in-differences design to compare the changes in active transport indicators on older adults ageing for ten years in different areas of the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (Spain). Participants were drawn from two large cross-sectional travel surveys in 2004 and 2014 creating a 10 year span in which they aged from 65-75 y.o. to 75-85 y.o. High walkability was associated with more minutes spent walking, and higher odds of meeting Physical Activity (PA) recommendations. Ageing in low walkable areas, in contrast, was associated with lower amounts of PA derived from transportation.