The purpose of this research was to determine a causal model of factors affecting age integrated/age segregated neighborhood preference during retirement. Data were anaLzed for 1299 preretirers in four states: Idaho, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah, collected in a mail survey in 1990 by the Western Regional Agricultural Experiment Station Committee (W-176). Preference for age integrated/age segregated neighborhoods during the first ten years of retirement was directly influenced by tenure preference (p=.00, B=.210). Those who preferred homeownership during retirement chose age integrated neighborhoods during their first ten years of retirement. Preference for age integrated/age segregated neighborhoods after ten years of retirement was significantly influenced by family income (P=.03, B=.096), suitability of home size (p=.02, B=.094), and tenure preference (p=.00, B=.155). Those who were economically well off indicated a predisposition for age integrated neighborhoods as did those who preferred homeownership and those who felt they had the right size homes for retirement. Indirect effects were also observed among the exogenous and intervening variables and age integrated/age segregated neighborhood preference during the first ten years and after ten years of retirement. Older preretirees preferred to retire in the community (p=.00, B= .125) and this preference for the present community influenced the choice of preferred homeownership during retirement (p=.00, B=.205). Those who favored homeownership indicated a preference for age integrated neighborhoods both during the first ten years (p=.00, B=.210) and after ten years of retirement (p=.00, B=.155). These interrelationships lead to the assumption that older respondents prefer to age in place as they showed a preference to retire in the present community and for homeownership. The findings of this research will be beneficial and of interest to retirees who are trying to create a suitable and affordable environment for themselves and communities will be enriched by their participation in economic and service functions. Community developers who are striving to boost their local economies can attract retirees by providing to the needs of the elderly consumers. / Graduation date: 1993

A growing number of nonmetropolitan communities have chosen to pursue nontraditional avenues for economic development including the promotion of the nonmetropolitan area to older adults who may choose to migrate after retirement. The purpose of this study was to help community leaders in nonmetropolitan areas make informed decisions if they choose to revitalize their town through the aid of immigration and retention of retirees, by knowing what infrastructure to plan for based on the neighborhood, housing, and support service preferences of future nonmetropolitan retirees. This prospective study compared two populations: preretirees who planned to migrate to nonmetropolitan areas during the first 10 years of retirement and preretirees who planned to age in place in nonmetropolitan areas upon retirement by (1) age integrated/ age segregated neighborhood preference; (2) housing tenure and structure preference; (3) support service preference of a hospital and/or family members; and (4) the socio-demographic variables of marital status, health status, current income level, and number of sources of retirement income. An age stratified random sample of preretirees from two states (N=1,175), Oregon and Utah, was included in the study. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and chi-square and one t-test to test nine null hypotheses. Migrant respondents differed in their preference for neighborhoods with older residents (p=.00000), preference to rent (p=.00002), and tendency to feel that family in the community was important (p=.00031). Migrants differed significantly in their marital status (p=.01292), in that more were unmarried. With regard to health status (p=.02752), more age in place reported excellent and fair/poor health as opposed to migrants' very good and good health. Nonmetropolitan community leaders interested in economic revitalization through the attraction of and retention of elderly retirees may want to consider including in their community the following: housing that tends to be more age segregated than age integrated, single family dwellings that can be rented, a hospital, and formal support services that may be needed if the informal support of family and friends is not available. / Graduation date: 1995

This thesis addresses the issue of comfortable and functional living environments to provide seniors with opportunities for "age in place," that is, living in one's own house after retirement. Such living environments enhance seniors' life satisfaction since the majority of seniors prefer to stay in their own houses and live independently. In order to create suitable environments for seniors, professionals need to examine the relationships between seniors' housing behaviors and their living environments. Studying seniors' housing behaviors is particularly timely now as the first generation of baby boomers enters retirement and begins making increasingly large demands for adequate housing. This exigency emphasizes the urgent need for attention and understanding toward seniors' housing behaviors. This thesis investigates two groups of factors- physical abilities and medical conditions - which influence seniors' housing behaviors, examines characteristics of the groups, and compares the influences of the groups on seniors' housing behaviors according to hypotheses that the more problems the elderly have, the more effect these problems will have on adapting or changing housing. The thesis used data collected by Eleanor Palo Stoller, Ph.D. (with the support of a grant from the National Institute on Aging) from subjects who were elderly Finnish American retirees and other European American retirees in Florida. The results supported the assumption that the more functional and health problems the elderly have, the more changes the elderly will make to their houses. The thesis suggests further areas for research and ways to enhance seniors' housing arrangements. / Graduation date: 2005