The Built Environment, Accessibility, and Mobility Study (BEAMS) is being conducted at the University of Washington. Promoting physical activity (PA) among persons aging with mobility disabilities is a public health concern.  Features of the built environment likely impact PA in this population.  However, measures specific to those aging with mobility disabilities are lacking making it difficult to study relationships and build effective interventions.

The purpose of the BEAMS is to better understand barriers and facilitators to PA among 50-75 year olds with mobility disabilities.  This will be accomplished by recruiting 30 individuals that use a cane, walker, wheelchair, or other assistive device to ambulate. 

Participants will partake in two research phases. In phase 1, in-depth interviews will be conducted in participant’s homes using open ended questions about barriers and facilitators to PA in the study population.  The first portion of the home interview will be guided by maps generated from Geographic Positioning Systems.  The second portion of the home interview will consist of a 2-3 block tour of the local area so that features can be pointed out and further discussed.

Content from the interviews will be used to adapt the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS).  In phase 2, the adapted NEWS, will be completed by study participants as well as an evaluation of the measure.  The final product will be an adapted version of the NEWS, a widely used measure of perceptions of the built environment, which can be used among those aging with mobility disabilities.

Contact: Dori Rosenberg
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
University of Washington
Harborview Medical Center Box 359612
325 Ninth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
Telephone: 206-616-8205
Email: dorir@uw.edu 
Website: http://depts.washington.edu/hprc/beam-study