Supportive environments moderate the relationship between frailty and life satisfaction in older adults: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The incidence of frailty among older adults in China has been on the rise (from 18.7% in 2011 to 28.4% in 2015) and has important implications for their life satisfaction. Despite this, the involvement of environmental factors in this association has not been considered in current studies. The objective of this study was to investigate how supportive environmental factors moderate the association between frailty and life satisfaction in older adults. METHODS: Using the 2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which involved 9,794 adults aged 60 and above, we evaluated frailty using a Frailty Index (FI) and examined different environments. Multivariate regression and moderation analyses were conducted, including demographic variables as covariates. RESULTS: The incidence of frailty was 25.69%. Frailty is a significant predictor of diminished life satisfaction (β = - 0.32, P < 0.001). The primary finding of this study is the significant moderating influence of the environment. The adverse correlation between frailty and life satisfaction was significantly diminished by the availability of home telephones (β = 0.12, P = 0.009), access to home and community care services (β = 0.20, P < 0.001), and residential stability (β = 0.21, P = 0.04). Frail older adults residing in supportive situations exhibit greater life satisfaction compared to those lacking such support. CONCLUSION: This study finds that supportive environments enhance the life satisfaction of frail older people. Improving the community support and the living conditions may lead to a better quality of life for older adults.
Source: BMC Geriatrics
Authors: Ka Kei Chao, Sok Leng Che, Ka Kit Wong
Language: English
Topic: Frailty in Older Adults
Subfield: Geriatrics and Gerontology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W4417112593