journal articles
COMMUNITY-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG RURAL OLDER ADULTS: EVIDENCE FROM TAIWAN’S GREEN CARE PROGRAM
Kai-Lin Liang, Yi-Chun Hung, Chia-Chen Hung, Chih-Ying Lin
J Aging Res & Lifestyle 2026;15
BACKGROUND: Community-based lifestyle interventions, including nature-based and Green Care activities, are associated with improved psychological well-being among older adults. However, these programs are often delivered as standardized interventions without systematic alignment with individual functional capacity or psychosocial needs. The World Health Organization’s Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework is a person-centred, integrated care approach spanning assessment, care planning, and community linkage, offering a multidimensional structure for assessing intrinsic capacity and guiding personalized participation.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between participation in community-based lifestyle intervention domains and psychological well-being among rural older adults and evaluated the potential of the ICOPE framework as a classification structure for precision community participation.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among community-dwelling older adults in rural Taiwan. Psychological well-being was assessed using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Participation in lifestyle intervention domains was analyzed, and cluster analysis was used to identify heterogeneous participation profiles.
RESULTS: Distinct participation clusters with varying well-being profiles were identified. Higher engagement in community-based and nature-based interventions was associated with significantly higher psychological well-being.
CONCLUSION: Community-based lifestyle and Green Care interventions were associated with psychological well-being outcomes among rural older adults. As a person-centred, integrated care framework, ICOPE offers a promising conceptual structure for organizing community participation programs and supporting precision social prescribing, though direct testing of ICOPE-guided intervention matching was beyond the scope of this study. Personalized community-based health promotion.
CITATION:
Kai-Lin Liang ; Yi-Chun Hung ; Chia-Chen Hung ; Chih-Ying Lin (2025): Community-based lifestyle interventions and psychological well-being among rural older adults: Evidence from Taiwan’s green care program. The Journal of Aging and Lifestyle (JARLife). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarlif.2026.100074