Housing Conditions, Neighbourhood Area and Life Satisfaction in Old Age

In this study, we contribute to the growing, albeit still limited, body of research on the importance of the living environment for individual well-being, focusing on the population aged 65 and over in Italy. We explore life satisfaction, a cognitive component of an individual's well-being that may help evaluate individuals' ability to adapt to life changes and challenges of ageing. We investigate various aspects of the living environment, both the indoor characteristics of the housing, its quality and adequacy, and the outdoor features of the immediate neighbourhood environment, its liveability and accessibility. The study provides robust evidence that adequate housing conditions might positively influence the life satisfaction of Italian older adults. Besides, we found that aspects relative to the living environment, namely area friendliness, its maintenance and (absence of) pollution, and the ease of access to shops and services are valuable for a satisfying life. Importantly, whether an inevitable overlap between these characteristics may exist, both housing and neighbourhood living conditions, in their various facets, exert a separate, specific, and substantial role in life satisfaction. Our results might inform city planning interventions about the advantages of creating friendly communities and well-designed urban spaces to support active ageing.