Similarities and Differences in the Determinants of Trips Outdoors Performed by UK Urban- and Rural-Living Older Adults

de Koning, Jolanthe L.; Stathi, Afroditi; Fox, Kenneth R. · 2015 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1123/japa.2014-0141

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Summary

This qualitative study investigates the determinants of outdoor trips among older adults (aged 65+) in the United Kingdom, specifically comparing those living in urban versus rural settings. The research addresses a gap in existing literature, which has predominantly focused on leisure-time physical activity or relied on urban-centric questionnaires that may not capture rural-specific factors. Given that frequent outdoor trips are a strong indicator of physical activity and independence in older adults, understanding these determinants is crucial for developing effective public health strategies, particularly under the UK’s “rural-proofing” policy which requires evaluating the applicability of urban policies to rural contexts. The study employed a comparative qualitative design using directed and summative content analysis within an Ecological Model framework. Data were collected from two distinct samples: 13 rural-dwelling participants recruited via snowball sampling in a fringe village in South West England, and 15 urban-dwelling participants selected from existing interview transcripts from the Project OPAL study in a nearby city. Both groups consisted of white English adults aged 70 and over with similar demographic profiles. Semi-structured interviews explored personal, social, and environmental factors influencing the decision to go outdoors. Findings revealed shared determinants across both groups, including the motivation to run errands, the reliance on car use to overcome physical limitations and weather barriers, and the importance of proximity to local amenities and reliable bus services. However, significant differences emerged in the social and environmental domains. Rural participants were primarily motivated by a strong community-based social network, facilitated by local volunteering opportunities and a volunteer-run village shop that served as a social hub. They reported high confidence in neighborhood safety and valued the lack of extensive street lighting. In contrast, urban participants relied heavily on family ties for social interaction and were motivated by access to recreational facilities such as gyms and shopping malls. Urban residents frequently cited fear of crime and anti-social behavior as barriers to evening trips, whereas rural residents did not report such concerns. The study concludes that while some interventions, such as improving public transport and addressing age-related physical barriers, may be transferable between contexts, social and environmental strategies must be tailored to specific settings. Urban-translated interventions may be ineffective in rural areas where community cohesion and local volunteering drive activity. Conversely, rural strategies cannot simply replicate urban facility-based approaches. The findings suggest that promoting active aging requires distinct, context-specific policies that leverage the unique social fabrics of rural communities and the facility-based infrastructure of urban areas.

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• urban rural setting