Public Health

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Environmental Health
• Public Health

Background:

• The aging population presents a global challenge, requiring strategies to enhance older adults' health and quality of life.
• The physical environment (residential and community) significantly influences older adults' independence and intrinsic capacity (IC).
• Limited research integrates physical environment characteristics with multidimensional IC determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between physical environment profiles and intrinsic capacity (IC) in older adults.
• To identify demographic predictors associated with maintaining IC in diverse physical environments.
• To inform targeted interventions and policy for supporting aging populations.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of the 2023 Korean Older Adults Survey (n=7,820).
• Latent profile analysis (LPA) to categorize physical environment types (residential accessibility, community mobility, friendliness).
• Logistic regression to assess associations between environment profiles, demographics, and IC (WHO ICOPE framework).

Main Results:

• Three physical environment profiles identified: Restricted (18.7%), Regional (61.5%), and Unbalanced (19.8%).
• The 'Regional Environment' group had 29% lower odds of maintaining high IC compared to the 'Unbalanced Environment' group.
• Older age and lower education were associated with decreased IC, while higher education increased IC preservation.

Conclusions:

• Physical environment characteristics significantly influence older adults' IC, with restricted environments posing higher risks.
• Interventions focusing on community mobility and reducing isolation are vital for improving health outcomes.
• Findings support tailored policy and environmental design to promote healthy aging.