Active Mobility in Older Age

Active mobility — encompassing walking, bicycling, and related forms of human-powered transport — offers older adults an accessible route to incorporating physical activity into daily life in an environmentally sustainable way. Worldwide, policies and interventions promote active mobility within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals framework. Yet, older adults engage in some forms of active mobility less than younger adults, and the psychological processes underlying this difference remain poorly understood. Limited knowledge about bicycling and its benefits, motivation, self-efficacy, fear of falling, social support, age stereotypes, and perceptions of the environment are among the key psychological factors shaping whether older adults take up or maintain active mobility, and whether they benefit from it socially, cognitively, and emotionally. Much existing research relies on cross-sectional designs, leaving it unclear whether observed age differences reflect developmental change or cohort effects. Recent work suggests that different types of active mobility confer different benefits, but this is only in its early stages. The role of environmental and technological changes, such as adapted bicycling equipment, simulator-based skill training, and infrastructure modifications, in shaping psychological readiness and behavior in older adults is also only beginning to be examined.This Research Topic seeks to expand our understanding of active mobility in older age by addressing the following objectives:• To describe older adults’ participation in various types of active mobility and changes therein, and to examine the psychological factors, including knowledge, motivation, self-efficacy, perceived control, social support, age stereotypes, and perceived risk, that promote or prevent the maintenance or uptake of active mobility• To identify the psychological benefits of active mobility for older adults, including effects on wellbeing, cognitive function, sense of autonomy, and social connectedness• To describe and analyze behavioral and environmental interventions targeting older adults in the context of active mobility, with a focus on the psychological mechanisms through which they operate, such as changes in knowledge, perceived capability, or behavioral intention• To advance the assessment of active mobility in older adults, including the measurement of psychological constructs and subjective experiences alongside behavioral indicatorsThis Research Topic welcomes submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following subjects:• Participation in different types of active mobility and changes over the adult life span, including age-related shifts in behavior and underlying psychological drivers• Psychological factors promoting or preventing the maintenance or uptake of active mobility in older age, including knowledge, motivation, self-efficacy, perceived safety, fear of falling, attitudes, social norms, and identity• Benefits of active mobility across domains, with particular emphasis on psychological outcomes such as well-being, cognitive function, autonomy, and social connectedness• Behavioral interventions related to active mobility in older adults, including those targeting psychological mechanisms such as skills, confidence, motivational regulation, and perceived capability• Environmental and technological interventions in the context of active mobility. Submissions in this category should demonstrate a clear link to psychological outcomes or age-related behavioral mechanisms, for example how infrastructure adaptations affect perceived safety or willingness to cycle, or how specialized bikes or simulators build confidence and self-efficacy• Methods for measuring active mobility in older adults, including validated tools for assessing psychological and subjective dimensions• Comparisons of different types of active mobility (e.g. walking, conventional cycling, e-bikes/pedelecs, tricycles, special bikes, bike sharing) with attention to differential psychological and behavioral effects• Equity and accessibility in active mobility among older adults (e.g. socioeconomic disparities, rural-urban differences, disability, gender, and cultural factors), including psychological barriers and facilitatorsManuscripts submitted to this Research Topic must primarily focus on older adults or address age-related changes or age comparisons in the subjects of interest. Studies focused primarily on infrastructure, transportation systems, engineering, or technology implementation are welcome only if they make an explicit contribution to understanding psychological outcomes, behavioral mechanisms, or developmental adaptation in older adults. Topic editors: Nanna Notthoff, Vjenka Garms-Homolová Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79871/active-mobility-in-older-age