Older adults’ active mobility choices and their specific preferences and needs for their living environment: an intersectional approach

Abstract Background For older adults, an effective and accessible way to incorporate exercise into daily life is through active mobility, which includes walking and cycling to everyday destinations. Research highlights the critical role of structural and spatial neighborhood design in promoting active mobility. Nevertheless, most studies on active mobility treat older adults as a homogeneous group, overlooking important differences within this population. An intersectional approach allows researchers to address the specific needs of subgroups that might otherwise go unnoticed. Therefore, this study aims to use an intersectional lens to explore the heterogeneity of active mobility patterns and preferences among older adults in relation to the built environment. Methods The cross-sectional study included 2148 older adults (47.0% women) living in eleven rural districts and two urban municipalities (< 100,000 inhabitants) in the Metropolitan Region Northwest in Germany. Data were collected using a self-administered postal questionnaire, pretested with older adults. Subgroups based on primary mobility mode were identified using conditional inference trees (CIT). We then examined subgroup-specific preferences regarding built environment features influencing mobility choice. Three different sensitivity analyses were performed with complete-case data and two alternative ways to operationalize mobility mode. Results We identified eight different subgroups with the most important splitting variables being mobility restrictions, land use mix, and self-reported health status. Across all subgroups, the highest proportion of participants rated the quality of surfaces (59.8% – 84.4%), good lighting (57.3% – 86.4%), and safety concerning traffic (69.7% – 87.3%), and crime (71.4%—90.4%) as important. In general, the subgroup of women with mobility restrictions living in areas with a low land use mix showed the highest proportions of importance ratings. Conclusion Our findings highlight the diverse mobility patterns of older adults and their varying environmental preferences and needs. To promote active mobility, urban planning must recognize this heterogeneity and implement tailored, demand-oriented solutions. We demonstrate that a quantitative intersectional approach is a valuable addition to qualitative research for analyzing the combined effects of social identities and living conditions. Future studies should increasingly adopt an intersectional perspective to identify unique experiences of disadvantage and privilege.