Difficulty and independence in shopping among older Americans: more than just leaving the house.
Allison B Brenner, Philippa J Clarke
PMID 29117730WHAT IT FOUND
Broken steps and neighborhood disorder were linked to more shopping difficulty in older adults, but links weakened after health and physical capacity were considered.
Check the route from the home when older adults report shopping difficulty.
Key findings
01Broken steps outside the home were associated with higher rates of needing help to shop or not shopping, compared with shopping without difficulty.
02Continuous sidewalks outside the home were associated with a greater risk of a lot of difficulty shopping or needing help for women, but not for men.
03Neighborhood social cohesion was associated with a reduced risk of having some versus no difficulty shopping, and this association remained in the fully adjusted environmental model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used survey data from one round and reported associations, so it cannot show that changing steps, sidewalks, disorder, or cohesion would make shopping easier. It did not measure barriers inside stores. Many environmental links became weaker or non-significant after health and physical capacity were included. The authors examined many interactions and advise caution in interpreting them. Older adults with worse health may live in worse neighborhoods or be unable to move. Results are generalizable only to non-institutionalized, community-dwelling American adults aged 65 and older represented in NHATS.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The paper is marked as supported by NIH extramural research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these results as proof that changing sidewalks, steps, or neighborhood cohesion will make shopping easier. The study used survey data and reported associations, not intervention effects, and many associations weakened after health and physical capacity were considered.