Neighborhood Qualities Are Related to Better Mental Health, Quality of Life, and Loneliness Over 6 Years: Pathways Through Social Engagement and Social Support to Aging Well

Abstract Background and Objectives Growing research evidence supports the importance of neighborhoods for the well-being of older people. The aim of this study was to investigate key pathways (social engagement and social support) through which neighborhood qualities (accessibility, safety, and social cohesion) may affect older people’s mental well-being (mental health, quality of life, and loneliness) over 6 years. Research Design and Methods A structural equation model was used to test the model while controlling for individual limitations such as physical health and socioeconomic status. The population sample included 2,750 New Zealanders over the age of 55 (M = 65.64 ± 6.30) years who responded to Health, Work and Retirement (HWR) longitudinal surveys in 2016 and 2022. Results The results showed that greater neighborhood accessibility to important facilities in 2016 predicted better mental health and quality of life and less loneliness in 2022 through provision of social support. Neighborhood social cohesion predicted social engagement, which was related to higher social support predicting better mental health and quality of life and less loneliness in 2022. Discussion and Implications These findings confirm a body of research highlighting the importance of neighborhood qualities and show the socially oriented pathways through which neighborhoods support aging well. These findings have direct implications for the development of social policy that focuses on the development of housing situations to support healthy aging.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  The gerontologist

• Publication date

  2025-03-06

• Fields of study

  Sociology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1093/geront/gnaf095PMID 40045182PMCID 12082299
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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