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Social capital, built environment and mental health: a comparison between the local elderly people and the ‘laopiao’ in urban China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 July 2020

Shuangshuang Tang Open the ORCID record for Shuangshuang Tang [Opens in a new window] ,
Harry F. Lee  and
Jianxi Feng
Shuangshuang Tang
Affiliation:
School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Harry F. Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
Jianxi Feng*
Affiliation:
Department of Urban Planning and Design, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

In rapidly urbanising China, a high number of elderly people, the so-called ‘laopiao’, float to cities where their sons or daughters live to look after their children and grandchildren. Laopiao in urban China are thought to suffer poor mental health owing to their floating status. This study explores the inter-relationship among social capital, the built environment and mental health in urban China. Using a recent survey conducted in Nanjing (N = 591), structural equation modelling was performed to compare the local elderly people and the laopiao. Results showed that mental health determinants are dissimilar between the two groups of elderly people. Bonding social capital promotes mental health in both groups, while bridging and linking social capital only contributes to the mental health of the laopiao. Also, access to public transportation is positively correlated with mental health in both groups. Furthermore, lower street network density and better access to parks enhance the mental health of the local elderly people, while higher street network density and more open space within a community enhance the mental health of the laopiao. Our findings suggest that different policy measures should be implemented for different groups of elderly people in urban China to improve their mental health.

Keywords

mental healthsocial capitalbuilt environmentelderly peopleChina
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , January 2022 , pp. 179 - 203
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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