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We used source data from the 2017 Community Health Survey. The subjects of this study included some older adults aged 65 and over, and analyzed the data of 23,043 older adults living in the urban and 34,063 older adults living in the non-urban area. Results: The common factors influencing physical activity in older adults by region include current smoking and drinking, BMI, sleep duration, and subjective health status, help with neighbors, frequency of meeting with neighbors and friends, participation in social and leisure activities, and falls experience (p<.001). However, the living environment, public transport satisfaction, and medical service use significantly associated with physical activity for only older adults living in the urban area (p<.001). Conclusion: In order to improve physical activity in older adults in the community, it is necessary to consider not only the improvement of individual factors that practice health behaviors but also health promotion strategies that take into account social and environmental factors because there are environmental differences among regions.

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There have been inequalities in healthcare indices in the elderly by regions in Korea, and this gap is increasing. To improve their health-related quality of life (HRQoL), it is essential to identify the cause of the regional health gap and to work out solutions. This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with HRQoL in the Korean population aged over 65 years by region. Integrated raw data from the 2017 Korea Community Health Survey (n = 57,317), a cross-sectional study, were utilized. Based on the reduced Social-Ecological Model, the dependent variable was HRQoL and individual, interpersonal, and community factors were independent variables. Data were analyzed by complex-samples descriptive methods, and complex-samples general linear model (CSGLM). In both regions, individual factors (gender, age, household income, education level, drinking, BMI, sleep duration, the number of chronic illness, economic status, subjective health status, and physical activity), interpersonal factors (neighbor and friend contact frequency, religious activity, fellowship activity), and community factors (satisfaction with safety level, public transportation, and medical service) were commonly associated with HRQoL of elderly people (p < .05). In urban areas, household type and charity activity were associated with HRQoL, in contrast, neighboring help was associated with HRQoL in rural areas (p < .05). Based on the results of this study, multi-dimensional efforts considering personal, social, and environmental factors are necessary to improve HRQoL of the elderly. Furthermore, it implies that efforts should be made to ensure health equity through social support, or improvement of community factors considering regional characteristics.