Influence of Environment Support on the Self-Efficiency and Activity Engagement of the Elderly in the Community

To achieve aging in place, the elderly need to maintain their physical functioning and independence in their current living environment. Based on social cognitive theory (SCT), this study aims to investigate the impact of environmental support (ES) on the self-efficiency (SE) and activity engagement (AE) of the elderly in the community. In total, 372 questionnaires were collected from the elderly aged 60 years and over. The correlation and regression analyses were conducted, and an integrated ES-SE-AE model was developed. The results indicated that (1) some environment support factors (e.g., accessibility of shopping malls, frequent communications between residents) affect the elderly’s self-efficiency of walking ability and activity engagement; and (2) self-efficiency of walking ability has a significant positive impact on their activity engagement. The findings in this paper will contribute to improving the independence of the elderly and creating a supportive environment in the community. Ultimately, the study gave insights to promote aging in place.