Out-of-Home Activities and Social Exclusion among Hong Kong’s Aging Population: A Study of the Elderly’s Activity-Travel Patterns and Its Implication on Well-being
Prof. HE Ying, Sylvia
The aim of this project is to improve understanding of the activity-travel patterns and social inclusion of the elderly population of Hong Kong, and of the factors which influence it, with a view to providing policy recommendations to the Government. This project consists of two components. The first component involves the 2013 Hong Kong Thematic Household Survey (THS) on time use pattern. Through this project, we will understand the activity-travel behaviour analysis framework, where travel as a derived demand to pursue activities. The special attention given to the economic activity status of the elderly will help us examine the effect of labor policy on their daily activities if Hong Kong were to raise the retirement age from 60 to 65 in future. The second component consists of focus-group interviews in selected areas to gain a deeper understanding of the elderly’s perceived constraints that limit their ability to go out and engage in social activities. In the end, we aim to provide a more comprehensive and behaviour-focused policy recommendation regarding the elderly’s active aging.