Las caminatas de las personas mayores por sus barrios de residencia en Santiago, Chile

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research that aims to understand the effects that the urban environment has on the walking of older persons. With this aim, 40 elderly walkers who live in four neighbourhoods of the local borough of Santiago (Chile) were interviewed, applying two techniques: an in-depth interview to know the psychosocial profile of the walkers and a "walking interview" to accompany older people in their daily routes in the environments where they walk. The information was analysed qualitatively and three categorical axes were constructed around which the main results were organized. It is concluded that the pandemic negatively impacts the lives of older persons by hindering their walking and intensifying experiences of loneliness and isolation. Living in neighborhoods for many years generates beneficial effects for older people, allowing them to link to spaces from memory and collective trajectories.