Built environment characteristics and perceived active park use among older adults: Results from a multilevel study in Bogotá

Objective: Examine the associations between selected built environment (BE) attributes and perceived active park use among older adults in Bogota. Methods: A cross-sectional multilevel study was conducted. Participants included 1966 older adults in 50 neighborhoods. Socio-demographic covariates and BE attributes were measured. Multilevel logistic regression models were used for the analyses. Results: Residents from areas with higher park density and high land-use mix were more likely to report active park use while those from areas with high connectivity were less likely. Conclusions: This study suggests that objective attributes of the residential BE are associated with perceived active park use. However, our study also points to the importance of surrounding environment, with the result of an inverse relationship between connectivity and physical activity, which highlights the potentially necessary interventions in the realm of traffic and pedestrian safety.