Relevance of urban green space for physical activity and health-related quality of life in older adults

Purpose Urban green space (UGS) shows to be a sustainable resource stimulating physical activity, health and quality of life in the general population. With regard to an aging European population, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between UGS, physical activity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in community-dwelling older adults. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional survey data were provided by a sample from Hamburg (Germany), consisting of 272 adults aged⩾65 years. Respondents answered questions regarding HRQoL (Short Form 12), physical activity (German-PAQ-50+) and exposure to UGS. The authors applied a linear regression to analyse the relationship between weekly duration of exposure to UGS and physical activity. While controlling for confounding factors, the authors used a multivariate linear regression model to detect effects on HRQoL. Findings A significant effect (adjusted R2: 4.3 per cent; p-value⩽0.001) was found for weekly duration of exposure to UGS and weekly physical activity. Multiple linear regression showed significant positive effects of weekly duration of exposure to UGS (p=0.010) and weekly time of physical activity (p=0.017) on HRQoL. Age, sex and feeling of satisfaction were identified as relevant confounding factors. Research limitations/implications Future research should continue to explore the indicators that mediate an increase of physical activity and HRQoL in the heterogeneous age band of older adults. Practical implications Findings suggest that community-dwelling older adults are likely to benefit from higher amounts of time in UGS since it is positively associated with both physical activity and HRQoL. Therefore, urban planners should explicitly consider the demands of community-dwelling older adults towards UGS. Originality/value This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between UGS, physical activity and HRQoL in older adults.