Long-Term Residential Environment Exposure and Subjective Wellbeing in Later Life in Guangzhou, China: Moderated by Residential Mobility History.

With rapid global urbanization, the importance of understanding relationships between the changing environment and wellbeing is being increasingly recognized. However, there is still a lack of understanding of how long-term residential environment exposure affects subjective wellbeing under the dual changes of geographical environment and residential location. Based on a survey of the elderly (people over 60 years old) in Guangzhou, China, this study analyzes the effect of long-term residential environment exposure over 25 years on subjective wellbeing in later life in the context of residential mobility. The study found that subjective wellbeing in later life is not only related to the current residential environment but also the cumulative exposure to the long-term residential environment. The relationship between long-term residential environment exposure and subjective wellbeing in later life tends to be stable with the increase of cumulative time, especially the cumulative years over 15 years. Considering the importance of residential mobility history, the study further analyzes the moderating effects of relocation frequency and residential location. Relocation frequency can strengthen the positive effect of residential environment on subjective wellbeing and weaken the negative effect of residential environment on subjective wellbeing, which confirms the existence of residential self-selection. In addition, the direction of effect of residential environment on residents who move between living in the urban center and the periphery is consistent with that of residents who have always lived in the urban center, while the effects of the residential environment on residents who have always lived in the urban center and those who have always lived in the urban periphery are related in different directions. The conclusion of this study can provide guidance for individuals’ residential choice and governance of the urban environment to improve wellbeing.

随着全球城市化的快速发展，理解不断变化的环境与福祉之间关系的重要性日益受到认可。然而，对于在地理环境和居住地点双重变化下长期居住环境暴露如何影响主观幸福感，人们仍然缺乏了解。本研究基于对中国广州老年人（60岁以上人群）的一项调查，分析了在居住迁移背景下25年以上长期居住环境暴露对晚年主观幸福感的影响。研究发现，晚年的主观幸福感不仅与当前居住环境有关，还与长期居住环境的累积暴露有关。随着累积时间的增加，尤其是累积15年以上，长期居住环境暴露与晚年主观幸福感之间的关系趋于稳定。考虑到居住迁移历史的重要性，研究进一步分析了迁移频率和居住地点的调节作用。迁移频率可以增强居住环境对主观幸福感的正向影响，削弱居住环境对主观幸福感的负向影响，这证实了居住自我选择的存在。此外，居住环境对在城市中心和周边之间迁移的居民的影响方向与一直居住在城市中心的居民一致，而居住环境对一直居住在城市中心的居民和一直居住在城市周边的居民的影响方向不同。本研究的结论可为个人的居住选择和城市环境治理以提高福祉提供指导。