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Table 2 Themes, subthemes, environmental factors and illustrating quotes reported in the reviewed studies

From: Understanding the relationships between the physical environment and physical activity in older adults: a systematic review of qualitative studies

Themes

Subthemes

Environmental factors

Informants’ quotes

Pedestrian infrastructure

Sidewalks’ characteristics

Sidewalks’ presence and continuity (i.e., lack of sidewalks, abrupt ending of sidewalks, integration of pedestrian routes, continuous sidewalks).

“Since I have started to use my rollator, I immediately noticed how high the curbs were as well as all other types of barriers.”[42]

Sidewalks’ quality and maintenance (i.e., poorly laid and maintained paving, poor snow clearance, icy sidewalks, sidewalks width, smooth surfaces).

“And the high curbs, so if we are going to a certain place we have got to say ‘now we have got to go along there and there’s a low curb there, and go down here, but I have got to cross there and move along there’. You can’t just go from A to B.”[27]

Sidewalks’ slopes and curbs (i.e., absence of steep gradients; cracked, uneven, steeply sloped, or high curbs, railings along steep sidewalks and stairs, strategically placed curb cuts).

Temporary obstacles on sidewalks (i.e., dog leashes, carts/fallen fruit on sidewalks, cars/bicyles parked on sidewalks).

“You cannot get to the stop half the time because it is icy and if you walk down the road, you cannot climb up over the bank to get to where the bus stop is, because it is all filled up with ice. I find anywhere in the wintertime around here, any bus stop, they are not cleared out.”[31]

Separation between pedestrians and non-motorized transport

Cyclists on sidewalks

“Recently, they have renewed the sidewalks over here. The situation was really bad. Now it’s better with those red tiles marking the cycling path. Cyclists know where to cycle now. Before, everything was mixed up.”[51]

Skateboarders and roller-bladers on sidewalks

Safety

Crime-related safety

Lack of street lightning

“Poor street lighting would prevent me from walking in the evening. Overgrown bushes, shrubs… sometimes you have abandoned homes, and the shrubbery has gotten out of control.”[43]

Upkeep (i.e., vacant houses, overgrown lots, vandalism).

Other people (i.e., few people walking around, large crowds, intimidating people, friendly and socially responsible other people).

“The only problem is that around six or seven p.m., the city center is dead. So we won’t go out anymore. During summer there are a lot of people on the terraces. But during this weather, it is dead at six or seven pm. Traffic is not allowed anymore, so people don’t come. I’m always in a hurry to get home because there’s so little movement out here.”[51]

Presence of authorized personnel (i.e., slow or inappropriate police, worrying presence of police, senior patrol, police or security, staff in public facilities).

Traffic-related safety

Zebra-crossing characteristic (i.e., unclear indication, long distances between crossings, inadequate signal times (too short), long crossing distances).

“I feel that we need… something… because in the winter you don’t want to hurry across the street when you see there’s no traffic… It’s fine once you get to the crossing, but there may be long, long, long distances.”[32]

Reckless driver’s behavior (i.e., impatience, speeding, use of cell phones).

Access to facilities

Access to exercise opportunities

Access to recreational facilities (i.e., lack of exercise facilities, facilities for older adults located to far from home, lack of transportation to recreational facilities, costs of recreational facilities).

“They’re not including us! They’re more concerned about the young people, what they’ve got. They’ve got skate parks and all sorts of things they’re planning for them, but they’re not planning anything for us.”[53]

“I would like to see a gym that I can afford. They have gyms, but I can’t afford to join one.”[39]

Access to senior oriented group activities (i.e., leisure provision primarily designed for younger people; feeling uncomfortable and unsafe without instructions, age-appropriate forms of leisure provision; group activities designed for seniors; indoor gym, pool, and dedicated buildings for seniors).

“We can go walking through the woods there and there’s a jolly good hour walk around through the woods up to the top onto the park and down the road and back again… that’s quite a good run.”[48]

Access to green open space (i.e., isolated trails, nearby parks and woods).

 

Access to daily destinations

Access to daily destinations (i.e., shops and services, senior center).

“The grocery store was just across the street. The bank, the liquor store, the hairdresser, and everybody just walked and met everyone. . . . It was quite pleasant. Today, we have to get into our cars. So, that has really changed.”[31]

“Providing transport to pick up older people from various homes would be a good help. I think that some older people don’t participate because they don’t have transport.”[52]

Access to public transit (i.e., bus-stop characteristics: long distances, shelter, senior oriented bus-service).

“I used to be able to walk downtown no problem, but as you get old, you slow down, so now I gratefully have my senior’s pass and I use it.”[31]

Access to rest areas

Access to benches (i.e., presence of benches usability of benches).

“If [older people] are out round to the shops, or the community center here, they could always walk back and sit in there in the summer for half an hour if you like and have a rest. You have always got to remember that the older ones like us, you can get tired.”[44]

Access to public washrooms (i.e., presence of clean washrooms nearby daily destinations).

“I’d probably put up a seat or two to sit on the way…I mean even going along, there’s a post box along on the main road and I cut through – um – the social club, but I nearly always sit down in the bus shelter on the way.”[48]

Aesthetics

Buildings and steetscape

Private property – challenges (i.e., signs of neglect), opportunities (i.e., well-maintained private property).

“Here it’s getting more interesting to walk; you have the park on the one side and some very beautiful houses on the other side. These are all from the beginning of the last century and I really like some of them.”[51]

Public realm – opportunities (i.e., attractive streetscapes, historical buildings).

Natural scenery

Presence of greenery

 

Presence of water

 

Environmental conditions

Weather

Cold weather

 

Hot weather

 

Warm weather

 

Environmental quality

High environmental quality

 

Pollution