The role of building design and interiors in ageing actively at home

Abstract

This systematic research review examines the role of building- and interior-scale environmental factors of homes and residential developments in promoting or inhibiting older adults’ sedentary behaviour and active living. Using an adaptation of the Cochrane Review protocol, the search and screen for relevant, rigorous research studies resulted in 37 research articles. The review focuses on six built environment characteristics: (1) barriers, supports and features that ‘fit'; (2) spatial organization and layout; (3) environmental cues; (4) ambient qualities; (5) assistive technologies; and (6) gardens and outdoor spaces. Accessibility-oriented features dominated the studies and findings. Pathway and corridor design, and environmental cues that convey an instrumental function of a space also facilitated active living. Ambient features such as lighting quality and meaningful sounds and aromas were important facilitators to active living among residents with dementia. To strengthen the knowledge base of the field and its application in design and improvements of residential environments, future research should focus on: detailed measurement of built environment factors as well as active living; increasing use of digital technologies for such measurements; multidisciplinary research teams; and policy-driven research questions that arise with housing the growing population of older adults in a healthy manner.

Keywords:

• active living
• age
• buildings
• built environment
• design characteristics
• health
• housing
• older adults
• physical activity
• residential
• sedentary behaviour

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ The age parameter of the construct ‘older adults' varies by culture, regulatory and public policy, and medical/health research studies. The United Nations, for example, uses 60 years as an age definer. The use of this term in the Introduction, Summary and Highlights, and Limitations and Recommendations sections of this paper does not refer to a specific chronological age cut-off, but rather to the term being used in general and public contexts. In the search criteria used in this paper, the age of 50 years and older was used, as some studies of US retirement communities use this as cut-off for occupancy. Similar terms used in other reports are seniors, elderly, aged and retirees.

² The search was also conducted in the abstract category for PsychInfo and CINAHL. The term ‘environment' was added as a limiter to the subject category of MEDLINE and the abstract category of CINAHL for a search targeted to built environment-related articles.

³ An asterisk (*) at the end of a search term indicates that that designated search term must conform to the letter sequence before the asterisk, and any combination of letters following that. For example, communit* would then capture terms such as community, communities, communitarian, etc.