The relationship between aging in place and happiness levels among older adults: A cross-sectional study

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between aging in place and happiness levels among older adults. This cross-sectional and correlational study included 394 older adults admitted to the internal medicine, cardiology, and gastroenterology wards or outpatient clinics of a tertiary public hospital in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye between February and April 2024. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Aging in Place Scale, and Happiness Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), the independent samples t -test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Estimates were reported with 95% confidence intervals where applicable. The mean age of the older adults was 72.50 ± 6.94 years ( n = 394), and 54.8% were female. The participants had a mean total score of 58.51 ± 9.99 (range 28–75) on the Aging in Place Scale and 23.85 ± 4.79 (range 8–30) on the Happiness Scale. A positive, large, and statistically significant correlation was found between aging in place and happiness ( r = 0.645, 95% CI 0.583–0.699 , n = 394, p < 0.001). Happiness was also positively and strongly correlated with the Perceived Social Support ( r = 0.555, p < 0.001) and Achievable Social Support ( r = 0.654, p < 0.001) subscales of the Aging in Place Scale. A weak positive correlation was observed between the Physical Competence subscale and happiness ( r = 0.346, p < 0.001). The findings indicate that greater satisfaction with aging in place is positively associated with higher levels of happiness among older adults. These results highlight the potential importance of age-friendly environments and community-based interventions in promoting well-being. Therefore, policies that support aging in place may be associated with enhanced well-being among older populations. However, given the cross-sectional design and recruitment of participants from a single public hospital, these findings indicate associations rather than causal relationships and may have limited generalizability.