초록
As longevity of human-beings is extended and the population of aged people increases, diverse issues related with the aged people are presented. The neighborhood space for the aged people is required to be designed based upon the understanding of such difficulties of the elderly and the public outdoor environment is an important environmental resource that can enhance the quality of life and promote the health of the elderly in underprivileged area without burdening them economically. This study aims to research the daily life of the elderly in underprivileged urban area and their utilization styles of outdoor environments in order to find out the push factors and pull factors that induce the aged people to use the outdoor environments. For this purpose, this study carried out an interview survey upon 69 elderly residents and surveyed on 363 elderly residents of low income class who are aged 60 and over and living in decaying area in Jeonju. For the analysis of the collected data, a qualitative and a quantitative analysis were accomplished. As results of study, the elderly in underprivileged area use such outdoor environments as resting facilities, exercise equipment, parks, farming gardens and waterfronts, and the push factors for them to use the outdoor environments were sordid indoor spaces, sense of isolation or loneliness, and the desire for maintaining good health. And the pull factors for them to use the outdoor environments were natural factors, opportunities for social interactions, space for exercise. The obstacles that hinder the elderly in using outdoor environments were the bad health of the elderly, lack of facilities, accessibility and weather conditions. Thus, the results of this study are expected to provide basic data for designing the outdoor environments to promote the health of the elderly in urban underprivileged area and to relieve the burdensome problems related with ageing societies.