More travel, more well-being of older adults? A longitudinal cohort study in China

The aging of the Chinese population constitutes a challenge to improving the well-being of older adults. However, well-being is an iterative and temporal process with age. The main objective is to analyze the influence of travel behavior and socio-demographic characteristics on fluctuating well-being of older adults among generations. Using Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data (2011–2018), cohort analysis and binomial logit model were applied to conduct longitudinal studies on the association between well-being and travel behavior of older adults. The travel frequency for social and exercise significantly impacted the older adults’ well-being, while the extent of the effect of shopping trips decreased over time. A notable finding is that travel frequency for shopping had a significantly positive impact on the well-being of older adults over 75, as opposed to exercise trips. Moreover, it is surprising that vehicle ownership has a significant influence on the well-being of the older adults in Pre-old, Tra-old, and You-old (cohorts 1, 2, and 3) aged below 70, while no significant impact in Mid-old, Hig-old, and Lon-old (cohort 4, 5, and 6). The study considered the changes in the well-being of older adults as they age. Meanwhile, the effects of cohort differences in travel behavior on well-being were also highlighted in the paper. The extent to which the frequency of shopping trips affected well-being decreased over time, and there has been no significant effect in recent years. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on social and exercise trips compared with shopping trips. For example, we suggested improving the transportation infrastructure around parks and squares, such as adding special bus lines. The study could help policymakers offer targeted travel services to safeguard older adults’ well-being. •The effect of travel behavior on the well-being of older adults across cohorts.•A longitudinal cohort study using the data from the Chinese General Social Survey.•Cohort analysis and binomial logit model are applied to the longitudinal study.•Shopping travel frequency impacted the well-being of older adults over 75 in China.•The findings support targeted travel policies to safeguard older adults' well-being.