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<p>Optimizing residential space is important for supporting older adults’ physical and mental well-being. Yet the relationship between housing size and health remains unclear. Insufficient space may be linked to crowding, limited privacy, and functional constraints, whereas excessively large dwellings may bring maintenance burdens, safety risks, and psychological stress. Using data from the 2020 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, this study applies XGBoost and SHAP methods to examine the nonlinear association between per capita floor area and older adults’ mental and functional health in China. The results show an inverted U-shaped association, with indicative turning points of approximately 34.7&#xa0;m² for mental health and 41.5&#xa0;m² for functional health. The association is more pronounced for mental health than for functional health, with mental health responding earlier to increases in floor area and declining more sharply after the turning point. Interaction analyses further show that the association varies by age, functional capacity, physical activity, living arrangement, socioeconomic resources, and housing conditions. Larger per capita space is more likely to be associated with poorer mental health among older adults who are older, functionally limited, physically inactive, or living alone for longer periods. These findings support a dual-sided housing fit framework, suggesting that both insufficient and excessive residential space may be linked to poorer health when housing size does not match older adults’ capacities, support resources, and housing quality. The study highlights the need for moderate-size, manageable, and age-friendly housing rather than a simple pursuit of more residential space.</p>

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From crowded to oversized: the nonlinear relationship between per capita floor area and older adults’ health in China

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月1日

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  • Chao Han,
  • Ziqi Zhang

摘要

Optimizing residential space is important for supporting older adults’ physical and mental well-being. Yet the relationship between housing size and health remains unclear. Insufficient space may be linked to crowding, limited privacy, and functional constraints, whereas excessively large dwellings may bring maintenance burdens, safety risks, and psychological stress. Using data from the 2020 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, this study applies XGBoost and SHAP methods to examine the nonlinear association between per capita floor area and older adults’ mental and functional health in China. The results show an inverted U-shaped association, with indicative turning points of approximately 34.7 m² for mental health and 41.5 m² for functional health. The association is more pronounced for mental health than for functional health, with mental health responding earlier to increases in floor area and declining more sharply after the turning point. Interaction analyses further show that the association varies by age, functional capacity, physical activity, living arrangement, socioeconomic resources, and housing conditions. Larger per capita space is more likely to be associated with poorer mental health among older adults who are older, functionally limited, physically inactive, or living alone for longer periods. These findings support a dual-sided housing fit framework, suggesting that both insufficient and excessive residential space may be linked to poorer health when housing size does not match older adults’ capacities, support resources, and housing quality. The study highlights the need for moderate-size, manageable, and age-friendly housing rather than a simple pursuit of more residential space.