Apples for Health- Unsafe neighborhoods may disable elderly

Unsafe neighborhoods may disable elderly

BOSTON, May 29 (UPI) -- Elderly people who perceive their neighborhoods as dangerous are more likely to be disabled, U.S. researchers say.

The study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, measured both individuals' perceptions of danger and the levels of violent crime actually reported in areas where they lived. Although the measures correlated well, it was the elders' sense that the neighborhood was unsafe that was most strongly associated with the development of a disability.

"Our findings underscore the importance of neighborhood safety to healthy aging," study leader Dr. Cheryl Clark of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said in a statement. "Specifically intervening to improve perceptions of neighborhood safety at retirement age may be an important step to reduce the risk of mobility disability among elders."

The study was based on data from 1,884 people age 65 and older.