How public transit affects health and daily activity for older adults with disabilities
Investigating the role of public transit on health behaviors among older adults with disabilities
This project looks at how features of public transportation relate to walking, physical activity, and social participation for older adults with disabilities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11164719 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From the patient's point of view, researchers will rate the design features of local public transit stops using a new public scoring system and combine those ratings with data from older adults with disabilities. Participants may wear accelerometers and provide information about their travel, physical activity, and social participation so researchers can link transit features to real-life behaviors. The team will use causal analytic methods to identify which transit features most influence walking and social engagement in neighborhoods with different transit densities. Findings will point to specific, changeable transit design elements that could help older adults move more and stay socially connected.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults with disabilities—especially non-drivers or people who have difficulty traveling outside the home—would be the ideal participants for this work.
Not a fit: People who are not older adults, who have no mobility or access issues, or who exclusively use private vehicles and will not use public transit are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to transit design changes that increase walking, mobility, and social participation, improving quality of life for older adults with disabilities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research links transit availability and density to more walking, but using a novel universal-design transit scoring system to tie specific transit features to activity and participation is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Twardzik, Erica — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Twardzik, Erica
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.