Association Between Senior Center Attendance and Older Adults' Health

Senior centers have the potential to promote healthy aging but have not been studied sufficiently. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between senior center attendance and older adults' health outcomes (loneliness, mental health, and physical health), using survey data collected from older adults at 23 senior centers in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Results of linear mixed effects models showed that longer and more frequent senior center attendance was associated with lower levels of loneliness and better mental health, with variations between genders and age groups (age <75 vs. age ≥75). Additionally, senior center attendance length and frequency had a positive relationship with physical health for older adults aged 75+, but did not have a significant relationship with physical health for older adults younger than 75. This study highlights the importance of senior center engagement to older adults' health.