Findings: Environmental Stress on Older People's Psychological Well-being and Residential Satisfaction Affected by Living in Old or Newer Urban Areas of Hong Kong

A survey was conducted by Lingnan University and Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental management (CUPEM) of the University of Hong Kong by using a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) approach. The research team selected 16 research areas in Hong Kong in which large proportions of mainly poorer older persons live (Table 1). Face-to-face interviews were conducted among 518 older persons (224 male and 294 female) living in public/public and new town/old urban housing in these 16 areas.

The results revealed that the psychological well-being and residential satisfaction of older adults' (aged 65 and over) in urban areas of Hong Kong are affected by environmental stressors, including "dwelling conditions", "informal social support" (family, friends and neighbours), "community facilities and services" and "accessibility to public transport"1. This effect was found irrespective of socio-economic status and respondents' health status. Prof David R PHILLIPS (Chair Professor of Social Policy at Lingnan University), Prof Anthony YEH (Chair Professor at CUPEM, University of Hong Kong) and Dr SIU Oi-ling (Associate Professor, Lingnan University), the investigators on the project, state that "While we are still in the process of interpreting the data, it appears that 'feelings of control' and of 'self-esteem' are the driving mechanisms responsible for the relationships". The investigators explained that dilapidated living conditions found in some of the older urban areas surveyed diminish older people's sense of self-esteem and erode feelings of personal control. In particular, the occupants' satisfaction with the internal environment of their homes, which includes corridor lighting, ventilation of apartments, temperature, crowdedness and other factors, affects their psychological well-being because their satisfaction in part because dwelling environments reflection on their self-worth.

Dr SIU Oi-ling explains that, in dwellings with dilapidated living conditions, older persons appear to be faced with evidence of their own incapacities and inability to alter unwanted circumstances in their lives. The researchers conclude that the need for control is preferred by many and plays an important role throughout the development of one's life and impacts on psychological well-being in old age.

The results indicated that, in general, up to 82% of the respondents reported that they had good psychological well-being "frequently" to "very often" (Table 2). About 75% of the respondents reported they were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their residential conditions (Table 3). Up to 76% reported high levels of self-esteem/self-worth (Table 4). Perhaps surprisingly, with the exception of residential satisfaction, there is a lack of evidence suggesting the results differ between public or private housing or between new towns and older urban housings. Elders living in new towns are more satisfied than their old urban areas (Figure 1). However, older persons living in private housing are more satisfied with their residential environment than those living in public housing (Figure 2).

The survey also revealed the aspects of older people's living environment with which they were most and least satisfied. In terms of satisfaction with various aspects of living conditions, Tables 5 and 6 show that respondents reported "Lighting in Corridors", "Indoor Lighting", "Crowdedness", "Lighting in public spaces", "Background of neighbors" and "Green areas" as the items with which they were most satisfied in indoor and outdoor environments, whereas "Indoor Temperature", "Lifts/Escalators", "Security Devices", "Noise and Air pollution" and "Estate Management" are the factors with which they are least satisfied.

Amongst community facilities and services, respondents rated "shopping facilities", "bus stops", "parks", "hospitals", "public clinics", and "private clinics" as those with which they are more satisfied. By contrast, "drug store/pharmacy availability", "community halls", "town planning", "community centres", "home care", and "day care centres" are services and features with which they are least satisfied (Tables 7 and 8).

The findings will be submitted to a number of international conferences and professional and academic journals. They will also be made available in summary form to academics, government officials and NGOs today (13 January 2003) via a Workshop held at the University of Hong Kong. The results should ultimately provide assistances in making better policy related decisions that ultimately affect the well-being and residential satisfaction of senior citizens in Hong Kong.

If you have any further enquires, please call Miss Alice Chen at 2616 8968 or Miss Anita Cheng at 2616 8956 both from the Public Affairs Office of Lingnan University.

1 Acknowledgement: The Research Team acknowledges the funding support for the research project on which these preliminary findings are based from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong University Grants Committee (LU3018/01H).