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Abstract
The aging population in rural areas of China faces serious challenges due to urban–rural disparities. In order to improve the active aging of rural older adults, the establishment of age-friendly communities is encouraged. However, globally, the focus is on age-friendly communities in urban areas, not reflecting rural communities. Hence, we addressed the importance of age-friendly rural communities (AFRCs) and aimed to investigate their impact on the quality of life (QoL) of older adults. We examined different perceptions of AFRCs among older adults (aged over 60) and middle-aged people (45–60) in rural communities with questionnaire surveys (n = 470 and 393, respectively). Several statistical methods, such as Chi-squared test, t-test, reliability test, and multiple regression, were adopted to investigate and compare the perceptions of these two. The results indicated that (1) middle-aged people were more satisfied with AFRC components and had a higher QoL than older adults; (2) the QoL of middle-aged people was predicted by housing, accessibility, and outdoor spaces; (3) the QoL of older adults was affected by housing, outdoor spaces, social participation, and public transportation. These findings aid in our understanding of rural communities and the QoL of rural residents. They are helpful for urban planners and policymakers to improve the planning of AFRCs and supplement research on age-friendly communities in rural areas. Practical implementations are proposed for the planning of AFRCs, such as the passive design of residential housing, grouping of community facilities together, and improvement in the hygiene of outdoor spaces in rural areas.
Highlights
In 2019, there were 176 million older adults aged 65 and over in China, accounting for12.6% of the total population [1]
(1) middle-aged people were more satisfied with age-friendly rural communities (AFRCs) components and had a higher quality of life (QoL) than older adults; (2) the QoL of middle-aged people was predicted by housing, accessibility, and outdoor spaces; (3) the QoL of older adults was affected by housing, outdoor spaces, social participation, and public transportation
In order to investigate the impact of AFRC components on QoL and compare the perceptions of middle-aged people and older adults, a questionnaire survey was conducted among rural-community-dwelling adults
Summary
In 2019, there were 176 million older adults aged 65 and over in China, accounting for12.6% of the total population [1]. In 2019, there were 176 million older adults aged 65 and over in China, accounting for. The speed of population aging is rapidly increasing and turning China into an aged society, which will occur when the proportion of older adults surpasses 14% [2]. The proportion of the elderly population is much higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Alongside the processes of industrialization and urbanization seen in China, there is a mass migration of labor from rural areas to cities as people seek money-making jobs [3]. The goal was set for 100 million migrant rural labors to settle down in cities by 2020 [4]. Young adults’ migration to cities have led to a rapid rise in the proportion of older adults in rural communities
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