The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, and Research Center of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
BMC Public Health. 2013 Apr 8;13:313. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-313.
The number of elderly individuals living alone is rising, especially in rural areas of China, and their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an increasing public health concern. However, little is known about factors that influence HRQoL and the need for long-term care services. The aim of the study was to identify these factors and the long-term care requirements of persons aged 60 and older living alone in rural areas of Shaanxi Province, China.
The study included 424 older subjects, selected by stratified random sampling. Logistic regression adjusted for age was conducted to analyze factors influencing HRQoL and the need for long-term care services. Pearson correlative analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between HRQoL score and long-term care needs.
HRQoL among elderly subjects living alone declined with age in both males and females. The main diseases influencing HRQoL among the elderly were hypertension, cardiac disease, chronic bronchitis, neurological disease and cancer. Cataract disease was the most important factor related to HRQoL. This was followed by long-term care needs, living conditions, economic status, Cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and age. Factors affecting long-term care needs were economic status, education level, alcohol intake, living conditions, general health and age. HRQoL and long-term care needs among this elderly population were significantly correlated (r=-0.204, p<0.01).
For elderly persons living alone, factors such as chronic disease, lower income level and living in a rural area may limit their ability to form social relationships. Reducing the level of loneliness, with better care and support, may be helpful in improving their HRQoL. There is a need for an overall improvement in the planning, provision and financing of long-term care and psychogeriatric services for elderly individuals living alone in China.
独居老年人的数量不断增加，尤其是在中国农村地区，他们的健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）是一个日益受到关注的公共卫生问题。然而，人们对影响 HRQoL 和独居老年人对长期护理服务需求的因素知之甚少。本研究旨在确定这些因素以及陕西省农村地区 60 岁及以上独居老年人的长期护理需求。
本研究纳入了 424 名老年人，采用分层随机抽样法选取。采用逻辑回归分析调整年龄因素，分析影响 HRQoL 和长期护理服务需求的因素。采用 Pearson 相关分析评估 HRQoL 评分与长期护理需求之间的相关性。
男女独居老年人的 HRQoL 均随年龄增长而下降。影响老年人 HRQoL 的主要疾病有高血压、心脏病、慢性支气管炎、神经系统疾病和癌症。白内障是影响老年人 HRQoL 的最重要因素，其次是长期护理需求、生活条件、经济状况、心血管疾病、骨质疏松症和年龄。影响长期护理需求的因素有经济状况、教育程度、饮酒、生活条件、一般健康状况和年龄。该老年人群的 HRQoL 和长期护理需求显著相关（r=-0.204，p<0.01）。
对于独居老年人而言，慢性病、较低的收入水平和居住在农村地区等因素可能限制其建立社会关系的能力。减少孤独感，提供更好的护理和支持，可能有助于提高他们的 HRQoL。中国需要全面改善独居老年人的长期护理和精神科服务规划、提供和融资。
