Therapeutic or detrimental mobilities? Walking groups for older adults

Can imaginary mobilities be conducive to mental health?

Despite the growing interest in the relationship between physical mobility and mental health in health geography, there has been less attention to mobility in the non-physical imaginary realm and its effects on health. This study attempts to explore whether and how 'imaginary mobilities' can be conducive to mental health. It conceptualised imaginary mobilities and designed 'Imaginary Travels' as a type of imaginary mobility. To verify the research questions, 50 young unemployed people living in Seoul, South Korea, were examined (experimental group: n = 25; control group: n = 25). The results demonstrate the immediate and long-term therapeutic effects of Imaginary Travels as imaginary mobility using three psychological questionnaires in the quantitative analysis and data derived from interviews and diary entries in the qualitative analysis. The quantitative statistical analysis revealed significant effects in the experimental group in contrast to the control group. The qualitative analysis indicated that imaginary mobilities are conducive to mental health through immersing, exploring, and practising inner geographies. These findings have implications for understanding mobilities and their associated therapeutic qualities in the imaginary realm beyond the physical realm.

Social Isolation in Older Adults: A Qualitative Study on the Social Dimensions of Group Outdoor Health Walks

Physical distancing practices during the COVID-19 global pandemic contributed to a high degree of social isolation among older adults. To reduce loneliness and other ill effects of social isolation, public health experts recommended outdoor social gathering, with physical distancing. Adopting a case study approach, we explored how social aspects of group outdoor health walks (GOHWs) mitigate social isolation for older adults and improve individual social wellbeing. We used semi-structured interviews to understand the experiences of social isolation and social relationships in nine older (50-80 s) adults participating in a GOHW in Scotland, United Kingdom (UK). Verbatim transcripts were analysed through an iterative process of thematic analysis carried out by an interdisciplinary team of qualitative researchers from environmental psychology, medicine, and geography. Themes provide insight into the social dimensions of GOHWs, the mediating effects of social experiences, and the contribution these make to individual social wellbeing. GOHWs provide opportunities to be part of a group and attend to the needs of inexperienced or physically challenged individuals. Being part of the group walk fosters casual interpersonal interactions through spontaneous mixing during and after the walk. This programmatic structure counters loneliness, engenders pleasurable anticipation of regular contact with others, supports physical activity, and fosters group cohesion. These in turn contribute to individual social wellbeing, including expanding social networks, meaningful relationships, a sense of belonging, and acting on empathy for others. GOWHs may be beneficial for mitigation of social isolation as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings were used to propose a conceptual model to parse social constructs and inform selection or development of quantitative social measures for future studies of nature-based interventions such as GOHWs.

Outdoor Recreation for Older Adults in Scotland: Qualitatively Exploring the Multiplicity of Constraints to Participation

Active ageing can lead to better health outcomes in older people. Examining constraints to outdoor recreation for older people, including outdoor physical activity, may therefore assist with developing strategies for active ageing. Findings are presented from a study seeking to understand the constraints to older peoples' access to outdoor recreation in Scotland, and this paper aimed to examine the multitude of constraints that discourage or prevent older people from accessing the outdoors and the ways in which these constraints are hierarchical (or not). This paper adopted a qualitative methodology using the hierarchical leisure constraints model (HLCM) as a lens to analyse the data, presenting the data in three vignettes. The paper identified multiple co-occurring constraints and considered these in relation to expectations based on the HLCM. Recognising that constraints to outdoor recreation for older people are multiple, co-occurring and mutually reinforcing may enable more effective solutions to be developed to overcome them.