Improving the Neighborhood Environment for Urban Older Adults: Social Context and Self-Rated Health

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health
• Personal Author:
  Mathis, Arlesia ; Rooks, Ronica ; Kruger, Daniel
• Description:
  By 2030, older adults will account for 20% of the U.S.|Over 80% of older adults live in urban areas. This study examines associations between neighborhood environment and self-rated health (SRH) among urban older adults.|We selected 217 individuals aged 65+ living in a deindustrialized Midwestern city who answered questions on the 2009 Speak to Your Health survey. The relationship between neighborhood environment and self-rated health (SRH) was analyzed using regression and GIS models. Neighborhood variables included social support and participation, perceived racism and crime. Additional models included actual crime indices to compare differences between perceived and actual crime.|Seniors who have poor SRH are 21% more likely to report fear of crime than seniors with excellent SRH (p = 0.01). Additional analyses revealed Black seniors are 7% less likely to participate in social activities (p = 0.005) and 4% more likely to report experiencing racism (p < 0.001).|Given the increasing numbers of older adults living in urban neighborhoods, studies such as this one are important for well-being among seniors. Mitigating environmental influences in the neighborhood which are associated with poor SRH may allow urban older adults to maintain health and reduce disability.
• Subjects:
  Aged Aged, 80 And Over Article Crime Cross-Sectional Studies Female Health Surveys Humans Male Motor Activity Residence Characteristics Social Environment Social Support

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• Source:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015; 13(1).
• Pubmed ID:
  26703659
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4730394
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  G12 RR03020/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; G12MD007582/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; U48/DP000055/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  Midwestern United States
• Volume:
  13
• Issue:
  1
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:bd583b7f9d0d3b8d622e1357a745f2ed428c7ec502fddb49c908f7717c1fcd1c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/41028/cdc_41028_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 459.54 KB ]