The Association between Perceived Housing Environment and Health and Satisfaction among the Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Northern China

Abstract

China lacks design strategies to improve home-based care environments for its older adults. This study investigated the perception of indoor environmental quality in housing environments and analyzed its impact on health and satisfaction among home-living older adults. A cross-sectional survey in Northern China was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (October 2021–March 2022) to test the effects of five housing environmental factors on home-living older adults’ health and satisfaction, including noise, lighting and view, temperature and humidity, air quality, and maintenance and cleanliness. A total of 356 home-living adults aged 60 years and older participated in the survey. The 12-item Short Form Health Survey was used to measure health-related quality of life among respondents. Using multiple regression analyses, we found that overall satisfaction can be positively predicted by four housing environmental qualities: lighting and view, temperature and humidity, air quality, and maintenance and cleanliness. Air quality was found to be a predictor of respondents’ physical health. Only noise had a significant predictive effect on respondents’ mental health. Age, marital status, and health status (cardiovascular and chronic diseases) were significantly correlated with the physical health of the respondents, whereas educational status, monthly income, and alcohol consumption could predict their mental health.

Keywords

• perceived housing environmental qualities
• satisfaction
• physical and mental health
• older adults
• cross-sectional survey
• residential buildings