Age-Friendly Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the United States

Abstract

As age-friendly community (AFC) initiatives grow, it will be essential to determine whether older adults who live in an AFC have better health than those who live in other environments. This study uses data from the 2017 AARP AFC Surveys and the AARP Livability Index to assess whether AFCs promote the health of older adults. We analyze data for 3027 adults aged 65 and older who reside in 262 zip code areas. Following AARP guidelines, we allocated the sample into two groups: an AFC group (livability score of 51+; n = 2364) and a non-AFC (score ≤ 50, n = 663). The outcome variable was self-rated health (M = 3.5; SD = 1.1; range: 1–5). We used an inverse probability weighting approach to evaluate whether older adults who live in an AFC reported better self-rated health than those who live in a non-AFC. Findings showed that older adults who lived in an AFC had better self-rated health than those in a non-AFC (b = 0.08, p = 0.027). Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Black and Hispanic older adults reported worse self-rated health. Inasmuch as living in an AFC can promote the well-being of older adults, policymakers and practitioners should continue to develop and sustain high-quality, accessible built and social environments.

Awareness and Perceptions of “Age-Friendly”: Analyzing Survey Results from Voices in the United States

“…Age-friendly initiatives can foster a sense of community and social connectedness among older adults and are associated with positive health outcomes [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], which can be important factors in individual decision making. To explore this in context, the survey probed the influence of “age-friendly” on the decision to live in a community.…”

“…AARP defines AFCs as those with “a commitment to being more livable for people of all ages, and especially older adults” [ 5 ]. Regional studies examining AFCs have found a variety of positive impacts among older adults, including better self-rated health and fewer functional limitations and chronic health conditions [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Higher quality of life and well-being, increased social connectedness and community involvement, and greater perceived neighborhood safety, accessibility, and support were also found among residents of age-friendly communities [ 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Age-friendly Environment and Aging in Place: Finding from Latent Profile Analysis

“…While recent studies show that AFCs are related to health and well-being of older adults (Nieboer & Cramm, 2018;Kim et al, 2022aKim et al, , 2022b, the relationship between age-friendliness and AIP has yet to be thoroughly examined. This study aims to explore how the level of age-friendliness in communities is associated with AIP intention of older adults in the United States.…”

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the global age-friendly project in 2007, introducing the concept of an "age-friendly city (AFC)" (WHO, 2007) to help older adults lead independent and autonomous lives (Mitzner et al, 2014;Novek & Menec, 2014;Vanleerberghe et al, 2017;Wiles et al, 2012). AFCs are intended to promote physical (Kim et al, 2022a(Kim et al, , 2022bLehning et al, 2015;Levasseur et al, 2017;Rémillard-Boilard et al, 2021) and psychological well-being (Gibney et al, 2020;Nieboer & Cramm, 2018;Trecartin & Cummings, 2018). Environments that are more age-friendly may present better opportunities for older adults to AIP (Choi, 2022;Park et al 2010).…”

Aging in Rural Communities

“…Critical to the success of these research endeavors is the development and implementation of evidence-based programs for older adults that consider the cultural context in which programs are implemented to create age-friendly communities across all geographies [193]. Evidence-based initiatives can provide needed information for key stakeholders, such as community leaders, policymakers, and funding agencies, to make informed decisions about populations most in need and which populations will benefit most from these initiatives.…”