Age-Friendly Rural Areas. The Challenges of Measurement and Evaluation in Czech Older Adults

Abstract

This article presents a study on the application of the age‑friendly measurement index in the context of rural areas in the Czech Republic. Small cities and rural settlements comprise the great majority of municipalities and face considerable ageing of their populations. The age‑friendliness concept expresses how and to what extent communities offer a supportive environment that enables residents to grow older actively within their families, neighbourhoods, and civil society together with extensive opportunities for participation in the community. Amenities related to public spaces and transportation are key aspects supporting these goals. The proposed measure uses the survey method to describe the perceptions of these aspects by older inhabitants in settlements of various degrees of rurality. The more rural areas, as expected, show fewer positive evaluations of outdoors amenities and transportation; however, this does not influence outcome variables, such as reported happiness, subjective health or overall satisfaction. Discussion of the content of the age‑friendly concept in rural contexts is provided.

Keywords

• rural areas
• age‑friendliness
• active ageing
• measurement
• methods
• Czech Republic