Disability and the Built Environment: An Investigation of Community and Neighborhood Land Uses and Participation for Physically Impaired Adults

Ann Epidemiol, 2014 · DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2014.05.003 · Published: July 1, 2014

Simple Explanation

This study explores the relationship between the built characteristics of communities and neighborhoods and participation among young and middle-age adults with acquired, chronic, physical impairment. The study used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data on land use and destinations to construct measures of the built environment for five-mile and half-mile buffer areas around participant addresses representing the local neighborhood and community, respectively. The findings suggest that the overall living conditions of the built environment may be relevant to social inclusion for persons with physical disabilities.

Study Duration

2000-2011

Participants

508 community-living, chronically disabled adults in New Jersey

Evidence Level

Cross-sectional study

Key Findings

1
Living in communities with greater land use mix and more destinations was associated with a decreased likelihood of reporting optimum social and physical activity.
2
Living in neighborhoods with large portions of open space was positively associated with the likelihood of reporting full physical, occupational, and social participation.
3
Greater residential density in the neighborhood was inversely associated with full SI whereas a large amount of open space was associated with significantly higher odds of reporting full physical, occupational, and social aspects of participation.

Research Summary

This study explores the associations between community and neighborhood land uses and community participation among adults with acquired physical disability. Living in communities with greater land use mix and more destinations was associated with a decreased likelihood of reporting optimum social and physical activity. Living in neighborhoods with large portions of open space was positively associated with the likelihood of reporting full physical, occupational, and social participation.

Practical Implications

Promoting Social Inclusion

The findings suggest that the overall living conditions of the built environment may be relevant to social inclusion for persons with physical disabilities, highlighting the importance of considering environmental factors in designing inclusive communities.

Importance of Open Space

The positive relationships between open space and participation suggest that access to greenspace and aesthetically pleasing environments may promote activity and social interaction among individuals with mobility limitations.

Re-evaluating Urban Design

The study challenges the assumption that greater density, heterogeneity, and opportunity in the local community necessarily increase physical and social participation for disabled adults, suggesting the need to re-evaluate urban design principles to ensure accessibility and inclusivity.

Study Limitations

1
The use of a cross-sectional data limits the ability to draw conclusions about the temporality of the association between communities and participation and rule out the potentially confounding influence of selection effects.
2
The use of a sample of physically disabled adults from a single impairment group may also lead to underestimation of these associations tested by this analysis.
3
The results of this investigation are also limited in generalizability to the select geographic area of New Jersey.

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