The Impact of Environmental Exposure on the Health of Older Adults: A Review From the GIScience Perspective

Given the increasing global aging, understanding the complex association between environmental exposure and health among older people is essential for promoting healthy aging. This review examined the progress in the impact of environmental exposure on health in the elderly, emphasizing the significant contributions of geographical information science (GIScience). Based on the environmental exposure framework among older adults and the bibliometric analysis, current research hotspots, rapidly developing directions, and further trends in environmental exposure and health among older people were discussed. First, the much-anticipated types of exposures among older people and their GIScience-related assessment methods were reviewed; furthermore, two aspects of rapid development were summarized, that is, geographically explicit environmental exposure assessment and ecological momentary assessment; moreover, the prospects of area-oriented GeoAI technologies and individual-oriented monitoring systems were discussed. This review aims to strengthen the interdisciplinary connections among GIScience, aging, and environmental health, contributing scientific insights to facilitate healthy aging and the creation of age-friendly environments.