Built Environment Accessibility and Disability as Predictors of Well-Being among Older Adults: A Norwegian Cross-Sectional Study

Grace Katharine Forster (), Leif Edvard Aarø, Maria Nordheim Alme, Thomas Hansen, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen and Øystein Vedaa
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Grace Katharine Forster: Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, NO-7047 Trondheim, Norway
Leif Edvard Aarø: Department of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH, NO-5015 Bergen, Norway
Maria Nordheim Alme: Department of Health and Functioning, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, HVL, NO-5063 Bergen, Norway
Thomas Hansen: Department of Mental Health and Suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH, NO-0456 Oslo, Norway
Thomas Sevenius Nilsen: Department of Mental Health and Suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH, NO-0456 Oslo, Norway
Øystein Vedaa: Department of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH, NO-5015 Bergen, Norway

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: Knowledge about the influence environmental factors have on well-being is important to deliver policies supporting healthy ageing and sustainable health equity. An under-researched question is whether and how the built environment plays a role on well-being among older adults with disabilities. This study explores the relationship between built environment accessibility and disability on psychosocial well-being among older adults. Data were used from the Norwegian Counties Public Health Survey collected during February 2021 in Møre and Romsdal county ( N = 8274; age = 60–97, mean = 68.6). General linear modelling was performed to examine the relationship and interaction between built environment accessibility (services, transportation, and nature) and disability on psychosocial well-being (quality of life, thriving, loneliness, and psychological distress). Higher levels of disability and poorer accessibility were each significantly related to lower psychosocial well-being across all variables ( p < 0.001). Significant interaction effects were observed between disability and built environment accessibility on thriving ( F (8, 5936) = 4.97, p < 0.001, η 2 = 0.006) and psychological distress ( F (8, 5957) = 3.09, p = 0.002, η 2 = 0.004). No significant interaction effects were found for quality of life and loneliness. These findings indicate good built environment accessibility is associated with thriving and reduces psychological distress among older adults with disabilities. This study supports and extends previous findings on the importance of accessible and equipped environments for well-being and may aid policy makers when planning built environments to foster healthy ageing among this population group.

Keywords: healthy ageing; older adults; well-being; disability; built environment; quality of life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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