Peer-reviewed article
Epidemiological Insights Into Relocation in Older Age From the Second Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA II): A Cross-Sectional Study.
Storz MA, Ronco AL ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines reasons for relocation among older adults aged 70 and above in the United States using data from a population survey conducted in 1997-1998. The research found that about 11% of older adults moved within a 2-year period, with health decline and desire for smaller living spaces being the most common reasons. The probability of relocating increased with age and was higher among those reporting poor health and those who were widowed or divorced.
Key points
- 10.83% of older adults (≥70 years) reported relocation within the preceding 2 years
- Predicted probability of moving doubled from 10% at age 70 to 20% at age 90
- 35.67% cited deteriorating health as the main reason for relocating
- 18.71% reported desire to move to a smaller place
- More than 10% of relocators wanted to live closer to their children
Limitations
This study focuses on older adults aged 70 and above and does not address younger populations or children. The cross-sectional design and self-reported data on relocation reasons do not establish causality or provide insight into outcomes of relocation for any age group.
Abstract
Background As the global population ages as a whole, interest in the "place" dimension of aging is growing. Previous studies on relocation in older age were often qualitative in nature and based on small samples. Large-scale epidemiological studies that specifically account for nonmovers are scarce but may contribute to a better understanding of older people's reasoning about relocation. Methods Data from the Second Longitudinal Study of Aging-Wave II, a U.S. population-based survey from 1997 to 1998, was analyzed to explore the most common reasons for moving in adults aged ≥ 70 years. The data were analyzed with a cross-sectional analytical approach. The predicted probability of moving depending on age and sociodemographic factors was estimated based on survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression. Moving/relocation was self-reported and covered a preceding 2-year period; reasons for moving implied a permanent relocation. Results The weighted percentage of participants reporting relocation within the last 2 years was 10.83% (9.81-11.95). The predicted probability of moving increased with higher age and doubled from 10% to 20% when comparing those aged 70 years and 90 years. Participants reporting fair/poor overall health were significantly more likely to have moved than those participants with excellent health (contrast: +7% (95% CI: 4.1%-9%), p < 0.001). A similar contrast was found when comparing married participants with widowed/divorced participants (+6.8% (95% CI: 3%-10%), p = 0.001). Deteriorating health and the desire to go to a smaller place were the most frequently reported reasons for moving with 35.67% (31.98-39.53) and 18.71% (15.29-22.70), respectively. More than 10% of participants who relocated indicated a desire to live closer to their child/children. Conclusions Results from this epidemiological analysis corroborate motivations for relocation identified in previous interview-based qualitative studies. The estimated marginal predicted probabilities provide new insights into the complex dynamics of relocation in older age.