Enhancing the understanding of social wellbeing among elderly populations in developing nations: a place-based approach

In an era of global ageing, the welfare of elderly populations is of growing concern, especially in developing nations where challenges such as poverty, limited healthcare access, and inadequate social support systems are pronounced. Nevertheless, the concept of Elderly Social Wellbeing (ESW) remains inadequately defined and understood. This paper investigates the neighbourhood-level determinants enhancing the social wellbeing of elderly individuals in developing countries. Drawing from interdisciplinary literature and 41 semi-structured interviews with elderly residents (age 65+) in Isfahan, Iran, our study identifies seven key factors shaping ESW: sense of mattering, sense of belonging, sense of interaction, sense of safety, social participation, sense of mastery, and sense of reminiscence. Moreover, we discern differences in perceived social wellbeing across various age groups among the elderly. Given the complex and subjective nature of ESW, we argue for a place-based, context-specific approach to its definition and conceptualisation, which can enhance the effectiveness of interventions to promote the wellbeing of individuals and communities.