The social and economic environment is the fourth domain. A key factor in this domain is crime (Lawton, Nahemow and Yeh, 1980). Fear of crime is an important factor in reducing physical activity outside the home for elderly persons (Dowd, Sisson and Kern, 1981). It is also a stressor that can influence health through pathways related to chronic stress. Fear of crime is related both to actual crime levels and to deteriorated aspects of the physical environment such as vacant buildings, litter and homeless persons (Rohe and Burby, 1988; Krause, 1996). Another important stressor in the social environment is the.
