Person-Place Fit and Quality of Life Among Older Adults in Disadvantaged Areas in Sweden

TL;DR

This study shows that older adults in disadvantaged areas in Sweden have better quality of life when they feel their home and community meet their needs.

Contribution

The study introduces the use of the Person-Place Fit Measure for Older Adults in disadvantaged areas and finds its association with quality of life.

Findings

Person-place fit is significantly associated with all aspects of quality of life among older adults in disadvantaged areas.

No differences in person-place fit were found between urban and rural disadvantaged areas.

Residents may perceive their environment as suitable even if it is not considered age-friendly by outsiders.

Abstract

Disadvantaged residential areas (DAs), often affected by territorial stigmatization, influence the health and quality of life in older adults. Nevertheless, older adults may prefer to stay in these areas due to emotional bonds. With the Person-Place Fit Measure for Older Adults (PPFM-OA), older adults self-assess how their home and community environments suit their needs. The aim of the study was to explore associations between person-place fit and quality of life among older adults living in different types of DAs. Survey data were collected from 459 older adults living in urban areas with low socioeconomic status and depopulated rural areas in Sweden. Person-place fit was measured using the Swedish 19-item version of the PPFM-OA and quality of life was assessed with WHOQOL-BREF. Mean age was 76 years (SD 7), with 51% being women and 13% were not born in Sweden. Linear regression models demonstrated significant associations between person-place fit and all aspects of quality of life (overall QoL, overall health, physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment) even after adjusting for sex, gender and ADL performance. No differences were found between residents of urban and rural DAs. The study shows that older adults’ perceptions of how well their home and community environments meet their needs are associated with their quality of life. Furthermore, the results suggest that residential areas that, from an outsider perspective are considered non-age-friendly, may not be perceived as such by older the older residents.