Friendly Residential Environments That Generate Autonomy in Older Persons

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Urban Planning
• Public Health

Background:

• Functional autonomy is crucial for older adults' quality of life and independence.
• Housing and residential environments significantly influence the ability of older persons to maintain autonomy.
• Age-friendly city strategies aim to optimize urban environments for aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between housing and residential environment conditions and functional autonomy in older persons.
• To identify specific physical and social environmental factors that support or hinder functional autonomy in the elderly.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for urban planning and public health initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative cross-sectional study involving 175 non-institutionalized urban older adults in Medellín, Colombia.
• Random two-stage sampling (neighborhoods and blocks) to ensure representative participant selection.
• Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between functional autonomy and environmental variables, calculating odds ratios (OR).

Main Results:

• Intergenerational activities (OR = 5.28) and community actions (OR = 11.28) were strongly associated with functional autonomy.
• Physical environmental adaptations, including public transport (OR = 90.33), sanitary services (OR = 4.1), and park lighting (OR = 19.9), showed significant associations with functional autonomy.
• 89.7% of older persons exhibited moderate physical performance, highlighting the importance of environmental support.

Conclusions:

• The physical and social environments surrounding housing are critical determinants of functional autonomy in older adults.
• Implementing age-friendly city strategies, focusing on accessible infrastructure and community engagement, can improve older persons' physical performance and maintain autonomy.
• Findings support the development of targeted public health and urban infrastructure interventions to enhance the well-being of the aging population.