Friendly Residential Environments That Generate Autonomy in Older Persons

This study aimed to explore the housing and residential environment conditions associated with functional autonomy in older persons.

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted, including 175 individuals over the age of 60. Participants were non-institutionalized urban residents of Medellín, Colombia, selected by random two-stage sampling (neighborhoods and blocks). Analysis was done according to functional autonomy of action (dependent variable); and demographic conditions, housing, and the physical and social environment suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the strategy of age-friendly cities (independent variables). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed with these variables, where the odds ratio (OR), association hypothesis test, and confidence intervals were estimated, using logistic regression models.

89.7% of older persons had moderate physical performance. The performance of intergenerational activities (OR = 5.28) and community actions (OR = 11.28) were part of social environments. The adaptations in public transport (OR = 90.33), sanitary services (OR = 4.1), and lighting in parks (OR = 19.9) of the physical environment were the associations found with functional autonomy.

Exploring how the physical and social environments surrounding housing are associated with the functional performance of older persons can generate useful information to support public health and city infrastructure strategies that improve their physical performance and maintain autonomy.