Environment, physical activity, and social isolation in older adults

Social isolation is one of the most pressing issues related to our growing aging population in Canada, and has been exacerbated due to COVID-19. While individual level factors that lead to social isolation have been identified, little work has been done to identify environmental level determinants (e.g. active living environment, greenness) of social isolation in older adults. An understanding of the environmental determinants, and the interaction with physical activity, is necessary as communities around Canada commit to becoming age-friendly; evidence is needed to inform the design of communities and policies affecting older resident’s mobility. The specific objective of this analysis is to understand the relationship between the environment, activity, and social isolation in older adults. New knowledge can be used to inform policies of municipalities and can be integrated into age-friendly plans to ensure that communities are designed with the issue of social isolation in mind.