Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Relationships between housing and healthy aging in very old age

Oswald, Frank ; Wahl, Hans-Werner ; Schilling, Oliver ; Nygren, Carita LU ; Malmgren Fänge, Agneta LU orcid ; Sixsmith, Andrew ; Sixsmith, Judith ; Szeman, Zsuzsa ; Tomsone, Signe LU and Iwarsson, Susanne LU (2007) In The Gerontologist 47(1). p.96-107
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this work is to examine the relationship between aspects of objective and perceived housing and aspects of healthy aging, defined as independence in daily activities and subjective wellbeing. Furthermore, this research examined the comparability of relationships between housing and healthy aging in the five European countries. Design and Methods: Data were drawn from the ENABLE-AGE Project, from home interviews with a sample of 1,918 very old people aged 75. to 89 years living alone in their own homes in Swedish, German, British, Hungarian and Latvian urban areas. Results: Participants living in better accessible homes, who perceive their home as meaningful and useful, and who think that external influences are not... (More)
Purpose: The aim of this work is to examine the relationship between aspects of objective and perceived housing and aspects of healthy aging, defined as independence in daily activities and subjective wellbeing. Furthermore, this research examined the comparability of relationships between housing and healthy aging in the five European countries. Design and Methods: Data were drawn from the ENABLE-AGE Project, from home interviews with a sample of 1,918 very old people aged 75. to 89 years living alone in their own homes in Swedish, German, British, Hungarian and Latvian urban areas. Results: Participants living in better accessible homes, who perceive their home as meaningful and useful, and who think that external influences are not responsible for their housing situation are more independent in daily activities and have a better sense of well-being. Moreover, these results apply to all five national samples. Implications: The findings can widen the perspective when striving for barrier-free building standards, to encompass a holistic approach that takes both objective and perceived aspects of housing into account. Home modification and relocation should not be prescribed, but need to be negotiated with older adults to take into account their personal preferences. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
accessibility, environmental gerontology, person-environment fit, well-being, home
in
The Gerontologist
volume
47
issue
1
pages
96 - 107
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000247215800012
  • scopus:34250902067
ISSN
1758-5341
project
Home, Health and Disability along the Process of Ageing
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Occupational Therapy (Closed 2012) (013025000)
id
a8375313-bd07-458f-95c4-7fa2e50d4b9e (old id 648894)
alternative location
http://gerontologist.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/47/1/96
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:38:18
date last changed
2022-04-28 17:44:18
@article{a8375313-bd07-458f-95c4-7fa2e50d4b9e,
  abstract     = {{Purpose: The aim of this work is to examine the relationship between aspects of objective and perceived housing and aspects of healthy aging, defined as independence in daily activities and subjective wellbeing. Furthermore, this research examined the comparability of relationships between housing and healthy aging in the five European countries. Design and Methods: Data were drawn from the ENABLE-AGE Project, from home interviews with a sample of 1,918 very old people aged 75. to 89 years living alone in their own homes in Swedish, German, British, Hungarian and Latvian urban areas. Results: Participants living in better accessible homes, who perceive their home as meaningful and useful, and who think that external influences are not responsible for their housing situation are more independent in daily activities and have a better sense of well-being. Moreover, these results apply to all five national samples. Implications: The findings can widen the perspective when striving for barrier-free building standards, to encompass a holistic approach that takes both objective and perceived aspects of housing into account. Home modification and relocation should not be prescribed, but need to be negotiated with older adults to take into account their personal preferences.}},
  author       = {{Oswald, Frank and Wahl, Hans-Werner and Schilling, Oliver and Nygren, Carita and Malmgren Fänge, Agneta and Sixsmith, Andrew and Sixsmith, Judith and Szeman, Zsuzsa and Tomsone, Signe and Iwarsson, Susanne}},
  issn         = {{1758-5341}},
  keywords     = {{accessibility; environmental gerontology; person-environment fit; well-being; home}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{96--107}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{The Gerontologist}},
  title        = {{Relationships between housing and healthy aging in very old age}},
  url          = {{http://gerontologist.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/47/1/96}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}