The Role of Housing in Community Health Promotion Among the Aged: A Case Study in New Orleans

A total of 89 aged residents living independently in single and double occupancy housing in an historic, traditionally planned neighborhood in New Orleans were surveyed with respect to their engagement in the outdoor realm in their immediate neighborhood. An index was developed, comprised of variables spanning the scale of the private dwelling to neighborhood scale. Certain dwelling attributes, health status factors, lifestyle factors, and neighborhood factors were found to be associated with a disinclination to walk outdoors in the community. Among the findings, improperly designed porches and insufficient semi-private exterior space adjacent to the dwelling function as strong deterrents to health-promoting walking activity outdoors, closely followed by fear associated with being victimized by crime in one's immediate neighborhood. Such conditions were found to pose a barrier to full engagement with the community in what on the surface would otherwise appear to be an imminently pedestrian-scaled residential setting. Study limitations, and directions for future research within the environmental design disciplines are discussed for both historic neighborhood settings and in new development. (C) 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.