Contribution of residential relocation and lifestyle to the structure of health trajectories.
OBJECTIVE
Underlining ecological theories of aging, we assessed the impact of relocation, residential type, and individual lifestyle factors on the structure of health status overtime.


METHODS
From the data of Longitudinal Study on Aging II, we included older adults aged 70 and older (N = 5,294). To analyze individual longitudinal trajectories of health outcomes, Latent Growth Curve Modeling (LGCM) was employed.


RESULTS
LGCMs supported that older adults' residential relocation and health-related lifestyles were important in preserving better health outcomes. Multiple structural equations corroborated the causal chains in the multidimensionality of health structure.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest a necessity to design policies for older adults to create a synergy between housing and health care and to translate meaningful health-related lifestyles into diverse long-term care settings.
Hong
Song-Iee
SI
Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Block AS3, Level 4, 3 Arts Link, Singapore 117570. swkhs@nus.edu.sg
Chen
Li-Mei
LM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression; D004777:Environment; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014481:United States