Contribution of residential relocation and lifestyle to the structure of health trajectories

Abstract

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.

Discussion: 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.