Influence of Outdoor Living Environment on Elders’ Quality of Life in Old Residential Communities

Shiwang Yu, Yong Liu, Caiyun Cui and Bo Xia
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Shiwang Yu: School of Civil Engineering, Sanjiang University, Nanjing 210012, China
Yong Liu: School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Caiyun Cui: Architectural Engineering College, North China Institute of Science and Technology, Langfang 065201, China
Bo Xia: School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane 4001, Australia

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: The population is getting older in Mainland China, which presents a huge challenge of how to support these increasing elders to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL). Due to the limited nursing institutions and Chinese traditional culture, aging in place is the most common choice for elders. Up to now, most elders in cities are living in old residential communities (ORCs) rather than new ones. Poor quality of outdoor living environment (OLE) in these ORCs cannot well support the daily life of the elders, especially for those with physical problems. A questionnaire study was conducted to explore the influence of OLE on the QoL of elders living in ORCs. A total of 107 questionnaires were completed by both elderly residents in ORCs (45.79% were male and 54.21% were female). The data was analyzed by a mix of reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results showed that physical health of elders was influenced by distance, safety, greenery, seat, recreational facilities; psychological health was predicted by width, height, and greenery; social relationship was affected by distance, safety, and recreational facilities. Based on the research results, recommendations were proposed to property management service providers and local governments, including providing more seats at a reasonable height, setting handrails alongside the long ramp, installing folding seats along building stairs, and so on.

Keywords: old residential communities; quality of life; outdoor living environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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