Examining Housing Environments and Health Status of Older Adults with Physical Disabilities in South Korea

Abstract

The present study examined the relationships between housing environments and health and well-being among older adults with physical disabilities in South Korea. Data are from the 2014 National Survey on Persons with Disabilities. We modelled four health and well-being outcomes - perceived stress, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and life satisfaction - by various housing environments among 2,077 older adults with physical disabilities. The results illustrate that home ownership and perceived house accessibility are associated with health and well-being. Findings indicate that efforts to promote the health of older adults with physical disabilities need to be accompanied by improvements in their housing environment.

Keywords: Older adults with physical disabilities; health status; home ownership; housing environment; quality of housing environment.