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Canadian policy perspectives on promoting physical activity across age-friendly communities: lessons for advocacy and action

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2017

CANDACE I. J. NYKIFORUK ,
DEBORAH RAWSON ,
JENNIFER ANN MCGETRICK Open the ORCID record for JENNIFER ANN MCGETRICK [Opens in a new window]  and
ANA PAULA BELON
CANDACE I. J. NYKIFORUK*
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
DEBORAH RAWSON
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
JENNIFER ANN MCGETRICK
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
ANA PAULA BELON
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
*
Address for correspondence: Candace I. J. Nykiforuk, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-291 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy 11405-87 Avenue NW Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaT6G 1C9 E-mail: candace.nykiforuk@ualberta.ca
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Abstract

Population ageing combined with physical inactivity has critical implications for the public health of communities in the twenty-first century. In the last decade, the World Health Organization launched the age-friendly cities agenda, aiming to address population ageing through whole-systems, rights-based, health equity-focused approaches. An important intervention for age-friendly communities is modifying built environments to support population-level physical activity. Physical activity can help mitigate impacts of chronic diseases and social isolation on older adults. Need for advocacy and action in this area raises questions of how to develop supportive environments for physical activity across age-friendly community types. In Canada, a substantial proportion of older adults live outside large urban municipalities, for which scant research exists on fostering age-friendly built environments. To this end, we conducted qualitative research involving semi-structured interviews with 21 municipal policy influencers in Alberta, Canada to gather perspectives on development and early implementation of an age-friendly policy framework in the small urban and rural context. Our findings are organised by three main themes providing key lessons for advocacy and action, namely pursuing comprehensive planning, promoting public engagement and prioritising the needs of older adults. This research informs advocacy and action priorities in promoting built environment modification for routine physical activity as part of an age-friendliness agenda for small urban and rural regions of Canada and other countries.

Keywords

age-friendly citiesbuilt environmentcity planningolder adultshealthy public policyphysical activitysocial participation
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , February 2019 , pp. 307 - 339
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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