Associations of neighbourhood environmental attributes and socio-economic status with health-related quality of life in urban mid-aged and older adults: Mediation by physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Abstract

This study examined the associations of objectively assessed physical features of the neighbourhood environment with physical and mental aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as measured by the SF-36, and the roles of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in these associations. We used data from a national sample of Australian mid-aged and older adults living in urban areas (N = 4141). Environmental attributes were computed for 1-km-radius areas surrounding participants' residential addresses. Neighbourhood socio-economic status (SES) and average annual concentrations of PM2.5 were the only attributes related to HRQoL in the expected direction in the total- and direct-effect ..