IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i5p676-d1642118.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Typology of Livable Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the U.S

Author

Listed:
  • Kyeongmo Kim

    (School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA)

  • Denise Burnette

    (School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA)

  • Sol Baik

    (Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA)

  • Seon Kim

    (Department of Social Welfare, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Jeollanamdo 57922, Republic of Korea)

Abstract

Neighborhoods with high-quality built environments and social environments are associated with older adults’ well-being. However, research on the complex interplay of neighborhood types and health outcomes is limited, as is the role of functional limitations. This study aims to: (1) identify neighborhood types, (2) explore the association of neighborhood type and older adults’ health, and (3) assess whether functional status affects this association. We merged data from the 2017 AARP Age-Friendly Communities Surveys and the Livability Index. Our sample included 3211 adults aged 65 and older; the majority (59%) were female. Participants identified as non-Hispanic White (81%), Hispanic (8%), Black (6%), and a member of another racial/ethnic group (2%). Employing latent class analysis, we identified a four-class model of neighborhood types: “Connected yet Limited Services”, “Service Integrated”, “Healthy Environment Zones”, and “Supportive Social Engagement”. Older adults in “connected yet limited services” and “service-integrated” neighborhoods had worse self-rated health than those in “supportive social engagement” neighborhoods, especially among those who reported functional limitations. Our findings indicate that older adults with functional limitations particularly benefit from neighborhoods with robust health support and social engagement opportunities, highlighting the importance of designing inclusive and adaptable age-friendly environments to address diverse and changing needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Kyeongmo Kim & Denise Burnette & Sol Baik & Seon Kim, 2025. "A Typology of Livable Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the U.S," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(5), pages 1-13, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:5:p:676-:d:1642118
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/5/676/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/5/676/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shilpi Mittal & Jayprakash Chadchan & Sudipta K. Mishra, 2020. "Review of Concepts, Tools and Indices for the Assessment of Urban Quality of Life," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 187-214, May.
    2. Bolck, Annabel & Croon, Marcel & Hagenaars, Jacques, 2004. "Estimating Latent Structure Models with Categorical Variables: One-Step Versus Three-Step Estimators," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 3-27, January.
    3. Xue Zhang, 2022. "Linking People’s Mobility and Place Livability: Implications for Rural Communities," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 36(3), pages 149-159, August.
    4. Kyeongmo Kim & Thomas D. Buckley & Denise Burnette & Jin Huang & Seon Kim, 2022. "Age-Friendly Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, July.
    5. 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.
    6. Shiwang Yu & Yong Liu & Caiyun Cui & Bo Xia, 2019. "Influence of Outdoor Living Environment on Elders’ Quality of Life in Old Residential Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-17, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shelley H. Liu & Yitong Chen & Jordan R. Kuiper & Emily Ho & Jessie P. Buckley & Leah Feuerstahler, 2024. "Applying Latent Variable Models to Estimate Cumulative Exposure Burden to Chemical Mixtures and Identify Latent Exposure Subgroups: A Critical Review and Future Directions," Statistics in Biosciences, Springer;International Chinese Statistical Association, vol. 16(2), pages 482-502, July.
    2. 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.
    3. Jennifer Oser & Marc Hooghe & Zsuzsa Bakk & Roberto Mari, 2023. "Changing citizenship norms among adolescents, 1999-2009-2016: A two-step latent class approach with measurement equivalence testing," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(5), pages 4915-4933, October.
    4. Fabian Dvorak, 2020. "stratEst: Strategy Estimation in R," TWI Research Paper Series 119, Thurgauer Wirtschaftsinstitut, Universität Konstanz.
    5. Lawrence, Elizabeth M. & Mollborn, Stefanie & Hummer, Robert A., 2017. "Health lifestyles across the transition to adulthood: Implications for health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 23-32.
    6. Jo-Ying Huang & Hui-Chuan Hsu & Yu-Ling Hsiao & Feng-Yin Chen & Shu-Ying Lo & Tzu-Yun Chou & Megan F. Liu, 2022. "Developing Indicators of Age-Friendliness in Taiwanese Communities through a Modified Delphi Method," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-17, November.
    7. Lecegui, Antonio & Olaizola, Ana María & López-i-Gelats, Feliu & Varela, Elsa, 2022. "Implementing the livelihood resilience framework: An indicator-based model for assessing mountain pastoral farming systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    8. Hong Leng & Bingbing Han, 2022. "Effect of Environmental Planning on Elderly Individual Quality of Life in Severe Cold Regions: A Case Study in Northeastern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    9. Aely Park & Youngmi Kim & Jennifer Murphy, 2023. "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Substance Use Among Korean College Students: Different by Gender?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(4), pages 1811-1825, August.
    10. Zhenhua Zheng & Hong Chen & Liu Yang, 2019. "Transfer of Promotion Effects on Elderly Health with Age: From Physical Environment to Interpersonal Environment and Social Participation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, August.
    11. Zsuzsa Bakk & Jouni Kuha, 2018. "Two-Step Estimation of Models Between Latent Classes and External Variables," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 83(4), pages 871-892, December.
    12. Ling Zhang & Kebin Shao & Wenfeng Tang & Stephen Siu Yu Lau & Hongzhan Lai & Yiqi Tao, 2023. "Outdoor Space Elements in Urban Residential Areas in Shenzhen, China: Optimization Based on Health-Promoting Behaviours of Older People," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-23, May.
    13. Bakk, Zsuzsa & Kuha, Jouni, 2020. "Relating latent class membership to external variables: an overview," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107564, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Young, Maria-Elena De Trinidad & Sudhinaraset, May & Tafolla, Sharon & Nakphong, Michelle & Yan, Yueqi & Kietzman, Kathryn, 2024. "The “disproportionate costs” of immigrant policy on the health of Latinx and Asian immigrants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 353(C).
    15. Emmott, Emily H. & Page, Abigail E. & Myers, Sarah, 2020. "Typologies of postnatal support and breastfeeding at two months in the UK," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    16. Alyssa Lozano & Tae Kyoung Lee & Elliott R. Weinstein & Yannine Estrada & Beck Graefe & Maria I. Tapia & Guillermo Prado, 2023. "Trajectories of Drug Use and Depressive Symptoms among Latinx Youth and Sexual Minority Youth," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-13, May.
    17. Fabian Dvorak & Sebastian Fehrler, 2024. "Negotiating Cooperation under Uncertainty: Communication in Noisy, Indefinitely Repeated Interactions," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 232-258, August.
    18. Andrea Bazzoli & Tahira M. Probst & Jasmina Tomas, 2022. "A Latent Profile Analysis of Precarity and Its Associated Outcomes: The Haves and the Have-Nots," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, June.
    19. Fang Dong & Jiyao Yin & Jirubin Xiang & Zhangyu Chang & Tiantian Gu & Feihu Han, 2023. "EWM-FCE-ODM-Based Evaluation of Smart Community Construction: From the Perspective of Residents’ Sense of Gain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-21, April.
    20. Janne Petersen & Karen Bandeen-Roche & Esben Budtz-Jørgensen & Klaus Groes Larsen, 2012. "Predicting Latent Class Scores for Subsequent Analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 77(2), pages 244-262, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:5:p:676-:d:1642118. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.