{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T14:31:15Z","timestamp":1781706675748,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]],"date-time":"2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747094400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ghent university - Special Research Fund and Research Foundation Flanders","award":["BOF\/24J\/2021\/166"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BOF\/24J\/2021\/166"]}]},{"name":"National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leadership Fellowship","award":["APP1195335"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["APP1195335"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,13]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>In 2021, ~14% of older adults experienced mental health disorders within the past year. Socio-ecological models highlight the importance of neighborhood characteristics in shaping mental health, particularly for older adults who are often more dependent on their surrounding environment due to diminished physical abilities. Health inequities at the neighborhood level are well-documented, with living in low-income neighborhoods often associated with poorer well-being. However, socioeconomic disparities in access to mental health-promoting environmental characteristics among European older adults remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study investigated differences across neighborhood income levels in (i) the perceived absence of health-promoting neighborhood characteristics, (ii) the perceived importance of these characteristics for mental well-being, and (iii) areas for improvement (=characteristics perceived as important for mental well-being yet absent). A total of 221 older adults (\u226565 years) from low-, medium-, and high-income neighborhoods in Ghent (Belgium) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations. Key findings revealed several health-promoting characteristics perceived as absent, including clean, litter-free spaces, a feature also perceived as important for mental well-being. Identified areas for improvement included litter management, enhancing pedestrian and bike-friendly infrastructure, traffic control, improving availability of services, and addressing challenges related to youth engaging in anti-social behavior and drug-related activity. Results highlighted significant disparities: areas for improvement were particularly prevalent in low-income neighborhoods. By identifying these key areas for improvement, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, this study provides actionable insights to guide targeted interventions aimed at promoting mental well-being and fostering more equitable urban environments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/heapro\/daaf066","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]],"date-time":"2025-05-22T12:30:41Z","timestamp":1747917041000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Urban environment perceptions and mental well-being in Belgian older adults: differences across neighborhood income levels"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"40","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0030-8024","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Noortje","family":"Jacobs","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent ,","place":["Belgium"]},{"name":"Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3220 ,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jelle","family":"Van Cauwenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles , Route de Lennik 808 - CP598, 1070 Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Delfien","family":"Van Dyck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Watersportlaan 2, 9000 Ghent ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8962-0887","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jenny","family":"Veitch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3220 ,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Megan","family":"Teychenne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3220 ,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benedicte","family":"Deforche","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent ,","place":["Belgium"]},{"name":"Movement and Nutrition for Health and Performance Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels ,","place":["Belgium"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025062700190086000_CIT0001","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1001990","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001990","article-title":"Why are some population interventions for diet and obesity more equitable and effective than others? 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