Place, community belonging and healthy ageing among older Norwegians

Background
As populations age, understanding how communities support health and well-being in later life is increasingly important. A sense of community belonging is linked to better mental health, stronger social ties, and a higher quality of life among older adults. Community characteristics, such as access to services, social arenas, opportunities for relationships and networks, and nearby recreational spaces, shape everyday well-being. However, little is known about how this unfolds in Norway. This study explores how older Norwegians understand the relationship between community characteristics, health, and well-being across communities with varying levels of belonging.

Methods
Adopting a mixed-methods design, we initially linked population-based data from the Trøndelag Health Study 4 for participants 60+ years (n=19,000) to data from Statistics Norway on residential location and rural–urban classification. The aggregated level of community belonging ranked 131 individual communities. The community unit was operationalized as a contiguous geographic area within a municipality. Secondly, we selected 2 case study communities (1 top/1 bottom decile) and in each conducted semi-structured interviews with 5 men and 5 women. The interviews explored participants’ understandings of community belonging and the environmental characteristics that affect their health and well-being. The project is funded by Stiftelsen Dam through the applicant organization Mental Helse, and a registered report has been published.

Results
Areas characterized by high community belonging (typically rural) were associated with better self-reported health and a higher proportion of men, married, and cohabiting individuals (all p < 0.01). Interview data revealed two patterns of social engagement: one centered on local community and another not tied to place of residence. Across both groups, short distance to local recreational areas for walking and hiking was highlighted as important for their mental health and connection to the local community. Residents in the high community belonging area described dense and place-based social networks, whereas those less tied to place relied more on dispersed networks, formal services, and diverse social arenas beyond the immediate neighbourhood for interaction.

Conclusion
Communities with high and low belonging differ in sociodemographic and self-reported health. However, across contexts, access to nearby outdoor recreational areas emerges as important for mental health and community experience. Findings highlight the importance of both place-based social networks and accessible environments in supporting healthy aging, suggesting that policies should address both social and geographical aspects of local communities.