Age-friendly communities and perceived disconnectedness: the role of built environment and social engagement

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of access to outdoor space and buildings and social or community events on elders’ perceived disconnectedness. Method: Data were from a representative survey conducted as part of an age-friendly community initiative in a large midwestern city in the United States. Hierarchical logistic regression was employed to examine the relationships between environment, engagement, and connection. Results: Having access to ramps to enter buildings reduced the odds of perceived disconnectedness by 79%, participation in social or community events reduced the odds of perceived disconnectedness by 83%. The odds of perceived disconnectedness for elders “not sure” of their access to public buildings were around 6 times that of those without access, holding all else constant. Discussion: Ensuring access to ramps to enter buildings, disseminating information about the accessibility of parks and buildings, and social or community events may reduce elders’ perceived disconnectedness.

Structural model for the relationships between age-friendly communities and quality of life of older adults in Hefei, China

“…Both built environments and social activities are important for community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, the WHO launched the AFC initiatives, aiming to improve active aging by developing comfortable and livable physical and social environments (Cao et al , 2019). The physical environment of AFCs has structural and built attributes, including outdoor spaces and buildings, public transportation and housing, and the social environment emphasizes social interactions, including respect and social inclusion, social participation, civic participation and employment, communication and information and community support and health services (Choi et al , 2019; Sun et al , 2017).…”

“…The physical environment of AFCs, such as outdoor spaces, public transportation and housing, plays a role in reducing pedestrian hazards, improving accessibility and encouraging outdoor activities, all of which lead to better QoL for older adults (Handy et al , 2002). Social environment also impacts the QoL of older adults by influencing their social inclusion and participation, interpersonal relationships and communication (Cao et al , 2019; Cornwell et al , 2008). Therefore, we hypothesized that the components of AFCs determine the QoL of older adults, including their physical and psychological health, social relationships and living environment.…”

Do Age-Friendly Rural Communities Affect Quality of Life? A Comparison of Perceptions from Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China

“…AFCs are being established all over the world, such as the Global Age-Friendly Cities Project [ 14 ], AFCs in the United States and Canada [ 15 , 16 ], age-friendly environments in Europe [ 17 ], and age-friendly practices in East Asia [ 18 ]. AFCs, which are characterized by sufficient outdoor spaces and public transportation, an accessible living environment, and convenient community services, support older adults in maintaining physical activities [ 19 ], improve well-being and life satisfaction [ 20 ], and reduce social isolation [ 21 ]. However, AFCs stemmed from the concept of age-friendly cities, with an emphasis on making the urban environment age-friendly, not the rural environment [ 11 ].…”

Protocol for an evaluation of the Designing Communities to Support Healthy Living in Aging Residents Study

“…Diet quality among urban dwelling older adults has been shown to be associated with the proportion of fast food outlets and stores selling healthy foods [15]. BE elements can also enhance social connections in older adults with ramps to access buildings linked to perceived social connectedness [16].…”