Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
HERD. 2024 Jul;17(3):329-353. doi: 10.1177/19375867241250320. Epub 2024 May 13.
This literature review aimed to summarize the existing knowledge surrounding the role of the built environment in supporting older adults' physical and social engagement and identify opportunities for future research and design that facilitates older adults' engagement at multiple environmental scales: from interior spaces to neighborhoods.
Physical environments can support or impede older adults' physical and social engagement: willful, motivated involvement in meaningful activity or occupation. Research shows that engagement is a core component of health and well-being and relates to positive health outcomes, including reduced disease risk, better mental health, and improved physical and cognitive function. Thus, designing supportive built environments for engagement can yield significant, positive health and well-being impacts.
A systematized search of five databases, a hand search, and an iterative screening process identified 55 studies for inclusion in this review. Through inductive thematic analysis, this review summarizes findings regarding the built environment's role in physical and social engagement in older age and design strategies to facilitate engagement and support health and well-being.
Evidence indicates that built environment characteristics can influence older people's physical and social engagement in homes, neighborhoods, and care settings. The thematic analysis of the included studies identified three key themes concerning the relationships of built environment characteristics to older adults' engagement across multiple environmental scales: connection, access, and security.
Built environments influence older people's physical and social engagement, significantly affecting their health, well-being, abilities, and longevity. Numerous design strategies can support older adults' engagement, but more research is needed.
本文旨在总结有关建筑环境在支持老年人身体和社会参与方面作用的现有知识，并确定未来研究和设计的机会，以促进老年人在多个环境尺度上的参与：从室内空间到邻里社区。
物理环境可以支持或阻碍老年人的身体和社会参与：有意愿、有动机地参与有意义的活动或职业。研究表明，参与是健康和幸福的核心组成部分，与积极的健康结果相关，包括降低疾病风险、改善心理健康以及提高身体和认知功能。因此，设计支持参与的建筑环境可以产生显著的积极健康和幸福感影响。
通过对五个数据库进行系统搜索、手工搜索和迭代筛选过程，确定了 55 项研究纳入本综述。通过归纳主题分析，本综述总结了建筑环境在老年人身体和社会参与中的作用以及促进参与和支持健康和幸福感的设计策略的发现。
证据表明，建筑环境特征可以影响老年人在家庭、邻里社区和护理环境中的身体和社会参与。对纳入研究的主题分析确定了三个关键主题，涉及建筑环境特征与老年人在多个环境尺度上的参与之间的关系：联系、接入和安全。
建筑环境影响老年人的身体和社会参与，对他们的健康、幸福、能力和寿命有重大影响。有许多设计策略可以支持老年人的参与，但需要进一步研究。
