The daily mobility of older adults: Urban/rural differences in ten developed countries

Abstract

AbstractThis paper explores the mobility patterns of older adults in ten countries, with a focus on the differences produced by urban environments in their non-work trips. Using detailed time use diaries from the Multinational Time Use Study for the last two decades, we analyze the trips associated with leisure and housework of non-working older adults. The results show that older adults in urban areas spend more time in leisure trips than similar individuals in rural areas. On the other hand, male older adults in urban areas spend less time in housework trips than do their counterparts in rural areas. However, such correlations are found to differ by country, gender, type of trip, and mode of transport, revealing complex correlations between urban forms and older adults’ daily mobility. Furthermore, factors such as the number of railway kilometers, gross domestic product growth rates, and the percentage of urban population in the country seem to be associated with differences in the behavior of older adults in their non-work daily trips.