The Impact of Age-Friendly Communities on Social Participation of Older Adults in China

• In Event: Environmental Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 7: Law, Institutions, and Governance Systems

Abstract

Based on data from the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), this study employs OLS regression, propensity score matching, and Bootstrap sampling to investigate the mechanism through which age-friendly community modifications influence social participation among older adults. The findings reveal that age-friendly community modifications significantly enhance the level of social participation among older adults. Specifically, modifications to the community's physical environment have a more pronounced effect on promoting social participation compared to the development of its humanistic environment. This effect is particularly prominent among groups with urban household registration, higher education levels, and good health status. Furthermore, subjective well-being exhibits a partial mediating role between environmental modifications and social participation. Based on these conclusions, the study proposes policy recommendations, including multi-dimensional collaborative promotion of age-friendly community modification projects, establishing a satisfaction-oriented service mechanism for age-friendly initiatives, implementing targeted modification strategies, and improving long-term institutional support systems. These recommendations provide a scientific basis for addressing practical challenges in age-friendly implementation and refining policies for elderly-friendly communities, holding significant theoretical value and practical implications for advancing the active aging strategy.

Authors

• Jin He, Peking University

• Zijing Gao

• Gong Chen