Association between park accessibility and multimorbidity in Korean older adults: a cross-sectional study

Adequate physical activity is essential for promoting healthy life expectancy among older adults. Park accessibility is an important environmental determinant of physical activity and may support multimorbidity management in this population. However, evidence on the association between park accessibility and multimorbidity remains limited, particularly in nationally representative Korean samples. This study examined the association between park accessibility and multimorbidity among older Korean adults.

This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 10,078 individuals aged ≥65 years who participated in the 2023 National Survey of Older Koreans. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the association between park accessibility and multimorbidity after adjustment for covariates. Stratified analyses assessed this association by physical activity level, and additional logistic regression analyses evaluated associations between park accessibility and common chronic diseases.

The prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults was 64.8%. After adjustment for all covariates, older adults living 30-59 minutes' walking distance from a park had higher odds of multimorbidity than those living <15 minutes from a park (adjusted odds ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.59). Among the common chronic diseases examined, hypertension was significantly associated with park accessibility.

Greater park accessibility may support physical activity and green-space exposure and may thereby contribute to multimorbidity management and healthy life expectancy among older adults.