Age-Friendly Neighborhood Environment and Active Aging among Older Adults: The Mediating Roles of Outdoor Mobility and Social Participation and the Moderating Role of Functional Limitation

DOI

No DOI

Published In

Volume 6, Issue 4 (2026)

Published Online

July-August 2026

Pages

310-319

Article Type

Original Article

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Active aging has become an important concern in gerontology, urban planning, public health, and social policy as societies experience rapid population aging. The neighborhood environment plays a central role in shaping older adults’ ability to remain mobile, socially involved, independent, and engaged in later life. Although age-friendly city research has emphasized domains such as walkability, transportation, safety, accessibility, and service proximity, limited attention has been given to the pathways through which age-friendly neighborhood environments promote active aging. This article proposes a structural equation modeling framework to examine the relationship between perceived age-friendly neighborhood environment and active aging among older adults. The model positions age-friendly neighborhood environment as the independent variable, active aging as the dependent variable, outdoor mobility and social participation as mediators, and functional limitation as a moderator. Drawing on Ecological Models of Aging and Active Aging Theory, the article argues that age-friendly neighborhood environments enhance active aging by enabling outdoor mobility and social participation. It further proposes that functional limitation weakens the relationship between neighborhood environment and outdoor mobility. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design is recommended among community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above. A sample size of approximately 400 respondents is proposed for covariance-based structural equation modeling. The study contributes to social gerontology and age-friendly community research by explaining how and for whom neighborhood environments support active aging.