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Table 1 Description of the study sample and area-level exposure measures at baseline (wave 2005/06)

From: Associations of changes in neighbourhood walkability with changes in walking activity in older adults: a fixed effects analysis

Variables

Study sample (n = 668)

 

Mean ± SD a

Range

Walking activity

 Walking outside in minutes/week

206.0 ± 233.6

4.0–2100.0

Neighbourhood walkability b

 Neighbourhood walkability index

30.1 ± 15.5

0.0–71.5

Unstandardised neighbourhood walkability components b

 Population density

47.29 ± 38.10

0.19–230.43

 Retail and service destination density

3.46 ± 5.67

0.00–34.70

 Land use mix

0.36 ± 0.17

0.00–0.87

 Street connectivity

1.17 ± 0.52

0.00–2.70

 Green space density

8.31 ± 8.06

0.00–58.89

 Sidewalk density

6.77 ± 4.59

0.00–18.90

Standardised neighbourhood walkability components b

 Population density

5.08 ± 4.28

−0.20-25.64

 Retail and service destination density

1.17 ± 2.20

−0.18-13.27

 Land use mix

2.46 ± 1.32

− 0.34-6.38

 Street connectivity

4.14 ± 2.02

− 0.40-10.07

 Green space density

0.04 ± 0.45

−0.42-2.89

 Sidewalk density

4.68 ± 3.33

− 0.24-13.47

Time-invariant characteristics

  

Sex (%)

  

  Men

46.6

 

  Women

53.4

 

 Educational level (%)

 

–

  Low

41.0

 

  Intermediate

34.1

 

  High

24.9

 

Time-varying characteristics

 Age in years

67.7 ± 7.2

57.8–93.4

 Cognitive impairment (%)

 

–

  No

97.9

 

  Yes

2.1

 

 Mobility disability (%)

 

–

  No

94.2

 

  Yes

5.8

 

 Season (%)

 

–

  Winter

26.9

 

  Spring

27.7

 

  Summer

13.2

 

  Autumn

32.2

 

Area-level exposure measures

 Road traffic noise in dB(A) (Median (IQR))

52.0 (48.2–56.5)

–

 Air pollution: PM2.5 absorbance in 10−5 m−1 (Median (IQR))

1.19 (1.04–1.36)

–

 Socioeconomic status score (Median (IQR))

0.32 (− 0.22–0.50)

–

  1. a Mean ± SD are presented, unless stated otherwise
  2. b The neighbourhood walkability index (index range: 0–100) and the (un)standardised components were derived from 500-m Euclidean buffer zones around the residential address of participants. The units of measures of the unstandardised components are: (1) population density [number of residents/hectare], (2) retail and service destination density [percentage of area devoted to retail and services], (3) land use mix [entropy index range: 0–1], (4) street connectivity [number of intersections (three or more legs) of roads accessible by pedestrians/hectare], (5) green space density [percentage of area devoted to green space], and (6) sidewalk density [percentage of area devoted to sidewalks]. The standardised components are all z-scores