Research on the Mechanism of the Influence of Travel Ability on the Travel Behavior of the Urban Elderly for Daily Shopping Activities: A Case Study in Kunming, China

In this paper, the latent variable of “travel ability” is introduced to the study of the travel behavior of the urban elderly for shopping activities. According to the principle of Lewin’s behavior model, the structural equation model is used to construct a correlation model of the shopping activity and travel behavior of the elderly. Based on 53 qualitative interview materials of urban elderly people over 60 years old in Kunming, China, the model is fitted according to the data obtained from 523 valid questionnaires collected at fresh food markets and 512 valid questionnaires collected at supermarkets. It is found that the travel behavior mechanisms of the two types of shopping activities of the urban elderly are different. However, the consistent conclusion is that the latent variable of the “travel ability” of the urban elderly has a more significant impact on shopping travel behavior than does the “age” variable.