Measurement Indicators of Age-Friendly Communities: Findings From the AARP Age-Friendly Community Survey.

Abstract

Background and ObjectivesCities and counties worldwide have adopted the concept of “age-friendly communities.” These communities aspire to promote older adults’ well-being by providing a safe, affordable built environment and a social environment that encourages their participation. A major limitation in this field is the lack of valid and reliable measures that capture the complex dimensionality and dynamic nature of the aging–environment interface.Research Design and MethodsThis study uses data from the AARP 2016 Age-Friendly Community Surveys (N = 3,652 adults aged 65 and older). The survey includes 62 indicators of age-friendliness, for example, outdoor spaces, transportation, housing, social participation, and community and health services. We randomly split the sample into 2 equal subsamples for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM).ResultsCFA results indicated that both the 5-factor model and the second-order factor model adequately fit the data. In the SEM 5-factor model, outdoor space (β = 0.134; p = .017), social participation (β = 0.307; p < .001), and community and health services (β = −0.149; p = .008) were associated with self-rated health, the outcome of interest. The path coefficients of housing and transportation were not significant. In the second-order factor model, people who lived in more age-friendly communities reported better self-rated health (β = 0.295; p < .001).Discussion and ImplicationsOur findings show that the Age-Friendly Community Survey measures demonstrate reliability and concurrent validity. To promote older adults’ well-being, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers should focus on improving their built and social environments. They can use these measures for short- and long-term planning, monitoring, and evaluating age-friendly community initiatives.