Examining the Impact of Physical and Social Neighborhood Environment on Residential Satisfaction Among Elderly Residents with Physical Disability in Urban Areas of South Korea

Background/Purpose: Aging in Place(AIP) and Community Care has emerged in Korea, highlighting the importance of housing satisfaction for disabled and elderly individuals. Housing satisfaction is a crucial indicator of whether their needs are being met and whether they are content with their living environment. Although ordinances have been implemented, there is a noticeable lack of age and disability-friendly cities, which consequently leads to low levels of housing satisfaction among this population. This inadequacy reflects the absence of a social and physical environment that accommodates elderly individuals with physical disabilities. Marans and Rodgers(1975) emphasizes the significance of not only objective housing characteristics but also subjective ones, which are especially important for physically disabled individuals who require specific physical environments to support their daily lives. Furthermore, the stigma and discrimination caused by physical disabilities affect individuals with physical disabilities, and have the dual vulnerability of the elderly and the disabled. The current study aims to investigate the influence of physical and social environments on the housing satisfaction of elderly individuals with physical disabilities. This will be achieved by classifying housing characteristics into physical and social environments, using the theory of human environment suitability and relevant studies such as Amérigo and Aragonés (1997). The overarching aim of this study is to furnish policymakers with actionable recommendations and fundamental data to enhance the quality of residential environments. This will enable social welfare practitioners to create more effective interventions and programs aimed at improving the neighborhood conditions of vulnerable populations.

Methods: Data and samples: The analysis data were collected from the Korea Institute for the Development of Persons with Disabilities' Life Panel Survey for the Disabled, which surveyed 5259 people with disabilities and their household members living in the community and was approved by Korea's national statistics The study sample included individuals aged 50 or older with physical disabilities residing in cities.

Measures: Regression analysis was employed, with physical neighborhood environments assessed using variables such as convenience and accessibility, comfort, safety, disability, and social participation activities. The control variables were age, income, gender, housing occupancy type, and city size.

Results: The analysis revealed that all independent variables significantly affect residential satisfaction, the dependent variable. Greater societal safety, more positive attitudes towards disability, increased social participation, easier access to local amenities, better internal structural facilities, and higher levels of comfort were found to lead to higher levels of residential satisfaction.

Conclusions and Implications: Based on the research findings, programs to improve community-level awareness, safety education, and safety facilities, as well as initiatives that increase social participation activities and customized policies and improvements by local governments, are necessary. The study recommends the implementation of policies and improvements by local governments to reinforce internal structural facilities and to establish a housing welfare support system.