Building a happy community: The relationship between community characteristics and the subjective well-being of older adults

Abstract

As older people age and weaken physically, communities and neighborhoods become increasingly important in the lives of them. The pathways between these community factors and older adults’ well-being were still unclear. This study explored the relationship and mechanisms between community public facilities, environment, and security and the subjective well-being of older residents. Data were obtained from the China Family Panel Study (CFPS). The study population consisted of 4606 older adults. This study used one-way analysis, linear regression, Shapley decomposition, and mediation analysis. The results indicated that community public facilities, environment, and security had significant positive associations with older adults’ subjective well-being, with a high level of contribution; social connectedness and community sentiment played a chain mediating role in this. This pointed out the positive significance and the specific pathways of community conditions for the subjective well-being of older adults. It also provides reference for community managers and builders. Building a happy Chinese community or a happy Chinese cultural community requires consideration of the needs of the elderly regarding community factors, social interaction, and community integration.