Improving how health is measured in age-friendly communities

In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the idea of “Age-Friendly Cities” which later became a global initiative called “WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities”. The goal is to make cities and towns better for older people through community programs and environmental improvements.

Age-friendly communities focus on eight areas to improve older adults’ quality of life: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community support and health services.

Surveys are a valuable tool for assessing the quality of life of older adults in these communities. However, people from different backgrounds, such as different ages, genders, and cultures, may understand and respond to survey questions in different ways.

Goal: Improving how we measure older adults’ quality of life in age-friendly communities.

The project will include 2 phases:

1. To understand and adjust for differences in how older adults respond to questions about their quality of life.


2. To understand how equitable measurements of quality of life can inform age-friendly projects in British Columbia.

 Mehdipour, A., Sawatzky, R. Rethinking how we measure older adults' physical and mental health. Poster presentation given by Dr. Mehdipour at the 54th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. October 2025.

 Mehdipour, A., Kwon, JY., Schick-Makaroff, K., Sawatzky, R. (12 min video) Do Canadian older adults differ in how they interpret and respond to questions about their physical and mental health? Oral presentation given by Dr. Mehdipour at the Canadian Outcomes Matter. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. November 2025.