This study examined the available literature concerning the association between sleep quality and quality of life (QoL) in autonomous older people with no sleep disorders. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on studies identified in the PsychInfo, PubMed and Scopus databases that examined the associations between QoL and sleep quality in older adults. Our systematic literature search identified 23 studies concerning a total of 21,092 participants (range of mean ages: 58-79 years). The results showed that self-reported sleep quality, but not objective sleep quality, correlated positively with QoL with a moderate effect size (for self-reported sleep quality, the overall estimate of the average effect size was a Pearson’s r=.28 [95% CI: .34, .23]; for objective sleep quality, it wasr=.01 [.12, -.09]). This also applied to the main domains of QoL concerning physical and psychological health, social relationships and environmental aspects (the estimated average effect sizes ranged from Pearson’s r=.13 to r=.35). These findings highlight the influence of sleep quality, and particularly of self-reported sleep quality, on QoL (as a whole and in its specific domains) in older adults with normal aging and no insomnia. This influence should therefore be investigated systematically when examining QoL.

Introduction: Residential satisfaction consists of pleasure derived from living in a place according to one’s needs, expectations, and outcomes. The present study examines the role of sociodemographic variables, perceived residential quality indicators, and restorativeness in predicting i) well-being, ii) residential satisfaction, and iii) sense of communities in northeast Italy.Methods: A total of 100 residents (47 women) in various cities in northeast Italy and 211 (112 women) residents in Piazzola sul Brenta (PD) took part in two studies. They answered demographic questions about self-reported restorativeness, residential environment quality, residential satisfaction, mental well-being, and sense of community.Results: After accounting for age, gender, and income, the results showed that perceived restorativeness enhances sense of community in the Northeast and Piazzola sul Brenta samples and predicts psychological well-being and residential satisfaction in Piazzola sul Brenta. Architectural and functional aspects contribute, respectively, to residential satisfaction and sense of community in both samples, and functional factors predict residential satisfaction for the Northeast sample. Place attachment plays a positive role in residential satisfaction and sense of community in the Northeast and Piazzola sul Brenta.Discussion: The study reveals a link between perceived restorativeness and residential satisfaction and well-being, providing insight for professionals and policy to improve urban quality.

Healthcare facilities and hospitals are environments where stress and anxiety are commonly experienced. Empirical evidence highlights the positive impact of incorporating natural elements in these settings on health and well-being for individuals and communities. This article reviews recent literature on the application of biophilic design in healthcare environments, examining its beneficial effects on both individual and social well-being. The main principles of biophilic design are outlined and summarized. Recent systematic and scoping reviews confirm that biophilic principles enhance patient well-being, support recovery, and improve the overall quality of healthcare environments. Experimental studies further demonstrate that higher levels of biophilic integration, including virtual nature experiences, are particularly effective in reducing stress and enhancing perceived care quality. Moreover, the literature has also highlighted the benefits of biophilic and healthcare environments on the social dimensions of well-being. Future studies should further explore how biophilic design influences social interactions and well-being, for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Aging coincides with a decline in map learning ability, but it is unclear to what extent different aspects of the mental representation are susceptible. The present study aimed to investigate knowledge about landmarks, their positions and distances (categorical and distance relations, respectively) in relation to aging as well as cognitive functioning (measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]), visuospatial abilities, and self-reported wayfinding inclinations. Thirty young adults and 60 older adults (30 aged 63–74 and 30 aged 75–86) learned a map, freely recalled the landmarks and performed a map drawing task (considering the number of landmarks missing, position accuracy and distance accuracy). Before that, older participants were also assessed regarding their general cognitive functioning (MoCA) and a series of visuospatial measures. The results show age-related differences among adults in recalling landmarks and in both categorical and distance relations, with a worsening of performance of old-olds only in the former. Older adults’ MoCA score related to accuracy in the three measures, and an additional role of spatial anxiety was found for distance accuracy. Above and beyond the age-related decline, the quality of older people’s spatial mental representation is related to higher general cognitive level and lower spatial anxiety.