Associations of City-Level Active Aging and Age Friendliness with Well-Being among Older Adults Aged 55 and Over in Taiwan.

Hui-Chuan Hsu

doi:10.3390/ijerph17124304

Abstract

This study aims to identify the typology of city-level active aging and age-friendliness across cities in Taiwan and examine their effects on well-being in terms of life satisfaction (aged 55 and over) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (aged 65 and over) among older adults. The data were from the 2017 Taiwan Senior Citizen Condition Survey. Available indicators of Taiwan’s Active Aging Index and city age-friendliness were selected, and mixed linear models were analyzed. Active aging cities were classified into four categories—content, developed, participatory, and pioneer—and age-friendly cities into insecure, infrastructural, and tranquil. Life satisfaction was rated higher in content and participatory cities compared with the pioneer city, and related to individuals’ active aging status. Physical HRQoL was rated higher in infrastructural and tranquil cities, compared with insecure cities. City types of active aging and age-friendliness have different effects on well-being, but the effects are weaker than those of individuals’ characteristics.

Highlights

Active aging has become the new paradigm for policymakers in aging societies along with the global population’s aging trend
This study focuses on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), in support of the goal of health and well-being underlying the concepts of WHO’s active aging and age-friendly cities
This study identifies city types in terms of active aging and age friendliness and examines individual- and city-level effects on life satisfaction and HRQoL among older adults

Summary

Introduction

Active aging has become the new paradigm for policymakers in aging societies along with the global population’s aging trend. The AAI has been applied at the country level, and at the region and city levels [4,5]. Whether AAI is applied at the country or city level, policies regarding active aging can be conducted at the city level, and local governments are responsible for implementing active aging policies. Differences in active aging are often found between regions and cities, including Taiwan [6]. The family-centered culture of the Taiwanese expects people to care for and support their elderly parents. Taiwan has one of the world’s fastest-aging societies, with the percentage of the elderly (aged 65 and over) in the population increasing from 7% in 1993 to 14.56% in 2018 [47]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion