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Age-Friendly Communities Matter for Older People’s Well-Being

Author

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  • Anna P. Nieboer

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

  • Jane M. Cramm

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

Abstract

This study aims to identify relationships between age-friendly environments (in terms of social and physical neighborhood attributes) and older people’s overall well-being, as well as the underlying instrumental goals to achieve overall well-being. A sample of 945 community-dwelling older adults living in Rotterdam’s districts Lombardijen, Lage Land/Prinsenland, Oude Westen, and Vreewijk was asked to complete a questionnaire in 2013. A total of 588 (62%) responded. The majority (56%) of respondents was female, 19% had low educational levels, 35% were married, and 85% were born in the Netherlands. Mean age was 77.1 ± 5.3 (range 70–93) years. Levels of age-friendliness and older people’s ability to realize the instrumental goals to achieve overall well-being varied tremendously among neighborhoods, with older people living in less age-friendly communities reporting lower levels of well-being. These differences in well-being resulted especially from differences in affection, behavioral confirmation, and comfort. Higher-educated older persons were more critical regarding the domains civic participation, transportation, and communication and information in their neighborhoods, suggesting a socioeconomic gradient in the perceived lack of neighborhood attributes facilitating aging in place. Currently, physical and social neighborhood attributes enabling aging in place seem to satisfy the needs for affection, behavioral confirmation, and comfort in some, but not all, neighborhoods. Levels of age-friendliness in neighborhoods did not explain differences in opportunities for older people to realize the instrumental goals of status and stimulation.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna P. Nieboer & Jane M. Cramm, 2018. "Age-Friendly Communities Matter for Older People’s Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(8), pages 2405-2420, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:19:y:2018:i:8:d:10.1007_s10902-017-9923-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-017-9923-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van Lenthe, F. J. & Brug, J. & Mackenbach, J. P., 2005. "Neighbourhood inequalities in physical inactivity: the role of neighbourhood attractiveness, proximity to local facilities and safety in the Netherlands," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 763-775, February.
    2. Anna Nieboer & Siegwart Lindenberg & Anne Boomsma & Alinda Bruggen, 2005. "Dimensions Of Well-Being And Their Measurement: The Spf-Il Scale," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 313-353, September.
    3. Johan Ormel & Siegwart Lindenberg & Nardi Steverink & Lois Verbrugge, 1999. "Subjective Well-Being and Social Production Functions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 61-90, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pan, Zhuolin & Liu, Yuqi & Liu, Ye & Huo, Ziwen & Han, Wenchao, 2024. "Age-friendly neighbourhood environment, functional abilities and life satisfaction: A longitudinal analysis of older adults in urban China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    2. van Hoof, Joost & van Staalduinen, Willeke H. & Dikken, Jeroen, 2024. "A multi-year quantitative study of the experienced age-friendliness in The Hague: A tale of four personas," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    3. Ahuva Even-Zohar, 2022. "The “At Home†Program: Students Residing with Older Adults," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    4. Nienke J. A. Moor & Kim Hamers & Masi Mohammadi, 2022. "Ageing Well in Small Villages: What Keeps Older Adults Happy? Environmental Indicators of Residential Satisfaction in Four Dutch Villages," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-19, March.
    5. Jianbo Han & Edwin H. W. Chan & Esther H. K. Yung & Queena K. Qian & Patrick T. I. Lam, 2022. "A Policy Framework for Producing Age-Friendly Communities from the Perspective of Production of Space," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-23, February.
    6. Chunmei Zhang & Jun Yang, 2023. "Evaluation of the Quality of the Age-Friendly Environment in Liaoning Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-13, November.
    7. 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.
    8. Zhong, Sinan & Lee, Chanam & Foster, Margaret J. & Bian, Jiahe, 2020. "Intergenerational communities: A systematic literature review of intergenerational interactions and older adults’ health-related outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    9. Karla Romero Starke & Janice Hegewald & Stefanie Schmauder & Pauline Kaboth & Lena Marie Uhlmann & David Reissig & Kristin Klaudia Kaufmann & Jürgen Wegge & Gesine Marquardt & Andreas Seidler, 2022. "Health and Care Dependency of Older Adults in Dresden, Germany: Results from the LAB60+ Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-18, September.
    10. María Ángeles Molina-Martínez & Sara Marsillas & María Sánchez-Román & Elena del Barrio, 2022. "Friendly Residential Environments and Subjective Well-Being in Older People with and without Help Needs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-14, November.

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