Profile of 온라인 바카라 주소 Authors

Su Yiqing Associate Professor, School of Public Policy 온라인 바카라 주소 Management, Guangxi University
Zhang Xiaoyin Master's Student, School of Public Policy 온라인 바카라 주소 Management, Guangxi University
Xuan Yuan Master's Student, School of Public Policy 온라인 바카라 주소 Management, Guangxi University

Published in

Cities

Citation

Yiqing Su, Xiaoyin Zhang*, Yuan Xuan (2024). Linking neighborhood green spaces to loneliness among elderly residents—A path analysis 온라인 바카라 주소 social capital. Cities, 149,104952.

Original Article Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.104952

Population aging is a pressing issue faced by societies worldwide in the 21st century. Among the various challenges posed by an aging population, health concerns st온라인 바카라 주소 out, with loneliness emerging as a significant factor that negatively impacts the mental health of the elderly. This sense of loneliness not only affects the physical 온라인 바카라 주소 mental well-being 온라인 바카라 주소 quality of life of older adults but also increases the societal burden of healthcare 온라인 바카라 주소 elderly care costs. As aging trends continue to escalate, actively addressing the challenges brought by population aging has become a strategic priority for countries across the globe.

Recently, Su Yiqing, Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy 온라인 바카라 주소 Management at Guangxi University, along with master's students Zhang Xiaoyin 온라인 바카라 주소 Xuan Yuan, conducted a study focused on alleviating loneliness among the elderly to improve their well-being in the context of an aging society. Their research was published in the prestigious international journalCities(SSCI-indexed, 2023 IF = 6.7) under the title "Linking neighborhood green spaces to loneliness among elderly residents—A path analysis of social capital." The study explores the role 온라인 바카라 주소 deeper mechanisms by which neighborhood green spaces can mitigate loneliness among the elderly, offering theoretical insights 온라인 바카라 주소 policy recommendations for aging nations on how to combat loneliness 온라인 바카라 주소 promote healthy aging, particularly through the use of community spaces 온라인 바카라 주소 social interaction.

The study utilizes a three-dimensional social capital (SC) framework 온라인 바카라 주소 is based on survey data from communities in six main districts of Nanning, Guangxi, China. It empirically examines the overall impact of urban green spaces on reducing loneliness among the elderly, delves into the underlying mechanisms, 온라인 바카라 주소 highlights the existing issues 온라인 바카라 주소 proposed solutions related to community green spaces.

Figure 1:온라인 바카라 주소 conceptual frameworkutilizing 온라인 바카라 주소three-dimensional SC model

The study utilizes IV-OLS regression 온라인 바카라 주소 a multiple mediation effect model with structural equations to perform its empirical analysis. The finding indicatesthat, overall, the use of neighborhood green spaces can effectively reduce negative life conditions 온라인 바카라 주소 psychological issues, thereby helping to alleviate loneliness among the elderly. In terms of mediation effects, the three components of social capital—relationshipnetworks, interpersonal trust 온라인 바카라 주소 norms of reciprocity—each playsdistinct role in how neighborhood green space usage influences 온라인 바카라 주소 reduction of loneliness among 온라인 바카라 주소 elderly.

Moreover, the study confirms that social capital serves as a full mediator in the relationship between neighborhood green spaces 온라인 바카라 주소 the alleviation of loneliness. This mediation effect can be explained by two key reasons: First, thetotalmediation effect demonstrates the comprehensive influence of social capital, which can impact elderly loneliness by establishing social networks, offering emotional 온라인 바카라 주소 material support, promoting information flow 온라인 바카라 주소 sharing, 온라인 바카라 주소 enhancing community engagement. Second, the full mediation role of social capital also suggests that the impact of neighborhood green spaces is inherently indirect; it is the close-knit, caring, 온라인 바카라 주소 compassionate social environment fostered through these spaces that is truly essential in mitigating loneliness. Therefore, when designing policies, it is crucial to consider these interconnected factors to fully leverage the benefits of public spaces.

Figure 2: Multiplemediatingpathways 온라인 바카라 주소SCin 온라인 바카라 주소impact 온라인 바카라 주소neighborhoodgreenspaces onelderlyloneliness

As global aging trends continue to intensify, there has been a growing body of research focused on elderly health. However, there is still a relative lack of attention to the issue of loneliness among older adults, which has resulted in an insufficient underst온라인 바카라 주소ing of its prevalence 온라인 바카라 주소 the negative effects it has on this population. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to loneliness due to several factors, including the deterioration of physical abilities, limited mobility, retirement 온라인 바카라 주소 the loss of social roles, the death of intimate partners, 온라인 바카라 주소 living apart from their children. These factors can lead to significant changes in interpersonal relationships 온라인 바카라 주소 the absence of close connections, making the elderly a high-risk group for loneliness. Research has shown that loneliness is a risk factor for various chronic illnesses, which not only severely impacts the physical 온라인 바카라 주소 mental health of elderly individuals 온라인 바카라 주소 lowers their life satisfaction 온라인 바카라 주소 happiness but also escalates the costs associated with social care 온라인 바카라 주소 medical services for the elderly.

For many elderly individuals, who are often retired 온라인 바카라 주소 experience reduced mobility, daily activities tend to revolve around their local communities. Neighborhood green spaces, as an integral part of the community environment, are closely linked to the daily lives of older residents. These spaces provide various social 온라인 바카라 주소 ecological services, such as opportunities for leisure, exercise, 온라인 바카라 주소 social interaction, which play a significant role in enhancing the physical 온라인 바카라 주소 mental health 온라인 바카라 주소 overall well-being of elderly residents. However, in practice, the importance 온라인 바카라 주소 elder-friendly aspects of neighborhood green spaces have not been fully recognized or utilized, leading to various issues.

This paper delves into the relationship between the use of neighborhood green spaces 온라인 바카라 주소 loneliness among the elderly through the lens of social capital theory, focusing on its dimensions of social networks, interpersonal trust, 온라인 바카라 주소 norms of reciprocity. Social capital is a multifaceted 온라인 바카라 주소 heterogeneous concept, 온라인 바카라 주소 its different dimensions influence loneliness among the elderly in varying ways. Unlike previous studies that treated social capital as a singular concept, this paper dissects its various dimensions to explore the distinct connections between each aspect of social capital 온라인 바카라 주소 loneliness in the elderly, thus contributing new insights to the development of social capital theory. The paper also proposes a more tailored explanatory framework for underst온라인 바카라 주소ing how neighborhood green spaces can alleviate loneliness among the elderly. Finally, from the perspectives of community space utilization 온라인 바카라 주소 social interaction, the paper advocates for a greater emphasis on the elder-friendly features of green spaces in aging communities. It calls for reserving adequate green spaces 온라인 바카라 주소 adapting them to meet the physical needs 온라인 바카라 주소 preferences of elderly residents, ensuring that these resources are allocated in a way that both meets the general population’s needs 온라인 바카라 주소 specifically benefits the elderly. These insights offer valuable policy recommendations for promoting healthy aging.

Thispaperwas supported by 온라인 바카라 주소 National Social Science Fund of China (22GBL225).

- Journal Overview -

Citiesis a top-tier international academic journal in the field of development studies, with an impact factor of 6.7 in 2023. It is ranked as a Q1 journal in the JCR 온라인 바카라 주소 is recognized as a TOP journal by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The journal serves as a platform for scholars, policymakers, 온라인 바카라 주소 practitioners to analyze 온라인 바카라 주소 assess urban development 온라인 바카라 주소 management practices, both past 온라인 바카라 주소 present, 온라인 바카라 주소 to highlight the effectiveness or shortcomings of various planning policies. It supports the implementation of appropriate urban policies in both developed 온라인 바카라 주소 developing countries. The journal's scope includes a broad array of topics such as urban climate change adaptation, urban management, public-private partnerships, development 온라인 바카라 주소 planning issues, urban renewal, neighborhood preservation 온라인 바카라 주소 urban design, migration 온라인 바카라 주소 international labor migration, urban politics, urban theory, urban governance, smart cities 온라인 바카라 주소 regions, infrastructure, livability 온라인 바카라 주소 quality of life, greening, 온라인 바카라 주소 the challenges of creating sustainable cities.