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Examining Older Adults’ Perspectives on the Built Environment and Correlates of Healthy Aging in an American Age-Friendly Community

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  • Kathy Black

    (School of Aging Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, Sarasota-Manatee Campus, University of South Florida, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA)

  • Dylan J. Jester

    (School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
    College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA)

Abstract

Population aging has led to an increased focus on the environmental context in which we age. While researchers have identified significant health benefits associated with built community features such as housing, transportation and outdoor spaces and buildings, less attention has focused on the correlates of healthy aging and other characteristics via the perspective of community-dwelling older adults. This study utilized cluster analysis to examine health-related subgroups of older adults ( n = 598) in an age-friendly community located in the United States, of which nearly half of its residents are age 60 and older. Linear regression was used to associate the health clusters with perceptions of built environmental features and socio-demographics. Four distinct profiles were identified, with the greatest preference for housing and transportation found among those reporting poorer health compared to those reporting excellent health across multi-dimensional healthy aging measures. Perceptions on the importance of built environmental features were also found to vary by age, income and home accessibility status. Findings suggest that older adults’ perceptions about built environmental features differ across health and home status as well as age and income, underscoring opportunities for public health action to better reach and engage older adults by life-course trajectories in age-friendly communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathy Black & Dylan J. Jester, 2020. "Examining Older Adults’ Perspectives on the Built Environment and Correlates of Healthy Aging in an American Age-Friendly Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7056-:d:420296
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Walker, Ruth B. & Hiller, Janet E., 2007. "Places and health: A qualitative study to explore how older women living alone perceive the social and physical dimensions of their neighbourhoods," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(6), pages 1154-1165, September.
    2. Moses Wong & Ruby Yu & Jean Woo, 2017. "Effects of Perceived Neighbourhood Environments on Self-Rated Health among Community-Dwelling Older Chinese," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fiona Ecarnot & Stéphane Sanchez & Gilles Berrut & Véronique Suissa & Serge Guérin & Aude Letty, 2022. "Defining Your “Life Territory”: The Meaning of Place and Home for Community Dwellers and Nursing Home Residents—A Qualitative Study in Four European Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-10, January.
    2. Fangfang Hou & Xiao Han & Qiong Wang & Shuai Zhou & Jingya Zhang & Guodong Shen & Yan Zhang, 2022. "Cross-Sectional Associations between Living and Built Environments and Depression Symptoms among Chinese Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-12, May.
    3. Atiya Mahmood & Rachelle Patille & Emily Lam & Diana Juanita Mora & Shreemouna Gurung & Gracen Bookmyer & Rachel Weldrick & Habib Chaudhury & Sarah L. Canham, 2022. "Aging in the Right Place for Older Adults Experiencing Housing Insecurity: An Environmental Assessment of Temporary Housing Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-12, November.

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