Environmental satisfaction, sociability, and well-being among urban elderly

Neighborhood Attributes and Well-Being Among Older Adults in Urban Areas: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

Expanding urbanization rates have engendered increasing research examining linkages between urban environments and older adults' well-being. This mixed-methods systematic review synthesizes the evidence for the influence of urban neighborhoods' attributes on older adults' well-being. We searched for literature published up to December 2020 across six databases and performed quality assessment and thematic analysis. The results, based on 39 identified studies, showed that natural areas in neighborhoods and a sense of community are the attributes most often associated with positive effects on well-being. Transit-related variables, urban furniture, and access to healthcare are also positively related to well-being. Neighborhoods may promote well-being more effectively when these elements are considered. However, almost half of the studies did not include all environmental dimensions simultaneously, and self-reported instruments were largely preferred over more objective assessments of the environment. Future research should thus holistically examine physical, social, and service-related attributes to produce more robust evidence.

Exploring a sustainable building's impact on occupant mental health and cognitive function in a virtual environment

Even though people spend the majority of their time indoors, the role of buildings in shaping human experience is still not well understood. The objective of this experimental project is to develop, test, and validate a data-driven neuroscience approach to understand the built environment’s impact on occupant cognitive function and mental health. The present study utilized virtual environments and electroencephalogram (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) approaches, to provide objective neurophysiological information about how sustainable buildings (SBs) impact people’s affective and cognitive functioning differently compared to conventional building (CBs). The long-term goal is to assess the validity of sustainable building design protocols in promoting and increasing mental health and well-being and the mechanism used to accomplish these increases. The findings showed test subjects demonstrated increased visual system engagement and modulated attentional focus and control processing in the SB compared to the CB environments. The findings can be explained by the cognitive load theory, which is consistent with the interpretation of greater focus on the present environment and reduced internal mental processing (cf. mindfulness), based on the observed increased theta/delta activities and greater engagement of visual systems and corresponding decreases in frontal activity in the SB environment. In addition, the combination of virtual environment (VE) and EEG/ERP has the potential to advance design methods by soliciting occupants’ responses prior to completion of the projects. Building design is more than aesthetics; expanding the horizon for neuroscience would eventually result in a new knowledge base for building design, particularly sustainable building design, since the sustainability of the building often needs to be quantified.

Moving beyond ‘ageing in place’: older people's dislikes about their home and neighbourhood environments as a motive for wishing to move

Ageing in place has been promoted by policy makers as the optimal residential solution for later life, premised on older people's reluctance to contemplate relocation, their declining residential mobility and high levels of residential satisfaction. This paper takes a critical perspective to the notion of ageing in place by examining older people's dislikes about, rather than levels of satisfaction with their home and neighbourhood environments, and establishing whether such dislikes influence a desire to move. Analysis of the 2004 Living in Wales Survey shows that despite high levels of residential satisfaction, a significant proportion of older people do wish to move. Logistic regression results indicate this desire is strongly associated with dislikes about their immediate home environment, more than neighbourhood factors. Contemplating a move in later life may be shaped more by a desire to ‘attach’ to people, than to remain in situ to preserve an attachment to place.

Local environments and older people's health: Dimensions from a comparative qualitative study in Scotland

Based on the perspectives of older people themselves in three urban neighbourhoods in the Glasgow region of Scotland, this article explores the ways in which the local outdoor physical environment may support or challenge older people's health. Five dimensions are proposed: cleanliness; peacefulness; exercise facilitation; social interaction facilitation; and emotional boost. Consideration is also given to potential equality issues, arguing that such aspects of the local environment may disproportionately affect older people, and also that relevant environmental qualities vary between places. Greater equity and the improved well-being of older people may be achieved through planning and design consideration across sectors.

Ageing in rural areas of East and West Germany: increasing similarities and remaining differences

Since unification in 1990, living conditions in Germany's "New Länder" have slowly converged to the conditions in the "Old Länder". One can assume, however, that West-East differences persist more strongly in remote rural areas neglected by economic development. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate and compare the living conditions of older adults in rural areas in East and West Germany with respect to personal and environmental resources which are important preconditions for autonomy and well-being in old age. These conditions were examined in a survey conducted in urban and rural regions of five European countries in 2000. The German rural study was carried out in the districts of Jerichow (Saxony-Anhalt) and Vogelsberg (Hesse), and included 762 men and women aged 55 years or older, randomly chosen in villages of at most 5,000 inhabitants. East-West comparison showed both similarities and differences. Similarities arose in human conditions such as subjective health, parenthood and network variety, and in environmental conditions such as home-ownership, attachment to one's home, length of residence in the same neighbourhood, and satisfaction with mobility options. Differences were found in socio-demographic conditions (e.g. education, income, household composition), basic neighbourhood features, and patterns of social and leisure activities. Regression analysis showed the differing impact of single predictor variables on life satisfaction in the East and West: satisfaction with financial situation and functional health contributes far more to older people's life satisfaction in the West German rural area, whereas mobility-related aspects affect elders' life satisfaction more strongly in the East German countryside. The findings reflect, on the one hand, continuing structural East-West differences and, on the other, diverging socio-cultural habits.

A flaw in gerontological assessment: the weak relationship of elderly superficial life satisfaction to deep psychological well-being

This study assessed the degree of relationship between superficial and deep psychological adjustment among elderly individuals. Eighty-six middle-class, Anglo persons averaging seventy-six years of age participated. Roughly one-half of the sample were "independent living," with the other half "congregate apartment dwelling." A similarly equal representation of both sexes was achieved. Superficial psychological well-being was measured using Cantril's Self-Anchoring Scale for life satisfaction, while deep psychological well-being was measured using portions of the Eriksonian-based Measures of Psychosocial Development. It was hypothesized that no more than a moderate correlation (.50) would be found to exist between shallow and deep psychological adjustment. This hypothesis was confirmed, suggesting that gerontologists need to cease relying on superficial psychological measures for elderly assessment, and implement more depth-oriented tests. It is argued that failure to do this promulgates an unfortunate tradition of shallow, inaccurate psychological measurement within gerontology.

Activities, family relationships and feelings about aging in a multicultural elderly sample

This study looked at ethnic and gender differences in activities, family relationships, and feelings about aging in 128 American Indian, Anglo, and Hispanic adults over sixty. Reading, visiting, and watching television were the most popular activities for all subjects, with a number of sex and ethnic differences appearing. Most subjects reported improved relationships with their families on various dimensions after turning sixty. A number of advantages and disadvantages of aging were mentioned. Few ethnic or gender differences were found on these latter variables.

Effects of pet and/or people visits on nursing home residents

A previous study by the author supported the recently popular idea that live pet-visits increased desirable behaviors in nursing home residents such as smiling and alertness, but it also suggested that people-visits may be even more effective. The purpose of the present study was therefore to compare the effects of different visiting programs (people-alone, people-plus-pets, pets-alone and no visit) on the behaviors of nursing home residents (proximity, talking, smiling, ambulation, alertness). All three visiting programs of people-alone, people-plus-pets, and pets-alone increased the behaviors of smiling and alertness in comparison to control conditions in the nursing home lounge. Close proximity to the person-alone visitor was, however, associated with the greatest number of positive resident behaviors. Future research is suggested to examine the characteristics that make effective pet and person visitors for nursing home residents.