Exploring emotions in relation to neighborhood environmental characteristics among older adults with low socioeconomic position: A qualitative study using walk-along interviews

Cities are challenged to provide older adults with high-quality neighborhoods that foster their mental health. Older adults with low socioeconomic position (SEP) are at risk for poor mental health, but research in this group is scarce. The neighborhood may have an impact on older adults' mental health through the elicitation of emotions. Qualitative on-site research can provide detailed and context-sensitive information on the experienced emotions. The aim of this walk-along study was to identify which emotions older adults with low SEP experience when they walk in their neighborhood and the physical and social neighborhood environmental characteristics that influence these emotions. Twenty-four older adults with low SEP were interviewed and content analysis was performed using NVivo 12 software. Participants experienced various positive emotions (e.g., calmness) in green and blue spaces, spaces with historical buildings, and open spaces. They experienced negative emotions (e.g., frustration) in spaces with heavy traffic and crime, paths with uneven surfaces, and areas with a lack of services, infrastructure and maintenance. The presence of public transport, renovations, graffiti, and cultural diversity evoked mixed emotions. Insights from this study could be used to develop specific hypotheses in quantitative studies and by urban planners and policy makers when (re-)designing neighborhoods.