It makes your life worthwhile. It gives you a purpose in living’

Mobility experiences among active older adults with low income

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11201577
AutoresTodd Franke (0000-0002-3858-5927, University of British Columbia, autor de correspondencia), Thea Franke, Joanie Sims-Gould (0000-0003-1260-5405, University of British Columbia), Habib Chaudhury (0000-0001-5770-3776, Simon Fraser University), Meghan Winters (0000-0001-9932-0255, University of British Columbia), Harry Mckay (0000-0002-5158-8006, University of British Columbia), Heather Mckay (0000-0003-2776-7220)
Año2019
Volumen39
Número8
Páginas1639-1666
Fecha de publicación2019-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAgeing and Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0144-686X • E-ISSN: 1469-1779
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0144686x18000181
OpenAlexW2791717116
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas14
Referencias citadas64

The World Health Organization claims that mobility is vital to healthy ageing and is the best guarantee of older adults being able to cope and remain in their homes and communities. Mobility enables older adults to maintain their physical health, independence and participation in society. In general, mobility is examined objectively, from a quantitative perspective where mobility is measured as physical movement ( e.g. physical activity) and/or travel behaviour ( e.g. trips, modes and distances). The predominant focus on the functional aspects of mobility tends to overlook the subjective ( e.g. perceptions, attitudes and motivations) and temporal dimensions of older adults’ mobility experiences. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, we conducted 24 in-depth interviews with six highly active community-dwelling older adults with low income, aged 65 or over, over a period of four years. Our analysis identified the following themes: maintaining a sense of self, being resourceful, openness to engagement, engaging in superficial contact, experiencing social capital, accessing transportation, leaving the immediate neighbourhood and facing affordability. Findings illustrate that intrapersonal factors, in addition to environmental (built, social and cultural) and temporal-level factors, play a crucial role in mobility. In the future, this gained knowledge can be incorporated into approaches to study the multiple interrelated factors and their interrelations that influence older adults’ mobility

Active ageing · Interpersonal communication · Intrapersonal communication · Life course approach · Mobilities · Neighbourhood (mathematics) · Older people · Openness to experience · Perception · Physical activity · Sociology · TRIPS architecture · Walkability · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban Transport and Accessibility · Gerontology