Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325035, China.
BMC Public Health. 2013 Aug 2;13:710. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-710.
Limited studies are available on health behavior knowledge among the elderly and the interaction between the elderly and their children living with them. Using a survey of the elderly in the community and their children living with them, we explored the characteristics that determine health behavior knowledge. We also identified the influencing factors affecting such knowledge. The relationship between the health behavior knowledge of the elderly and that of their children was also investigated.
A total of 1207 elderly people were selected by multistage probability sampling (number of children of the elderly = 201). We used a self-designed behavior knowledge questionnaire (38 questions) to survey the participants. After the 38 questions were answered, the total score was determined. The group with adequate health behavior knowledge (score ≥ 24) and that with inadequate knowledge (score < 24) were distinguished by logistic regression to explain the influencing factors affecting health knowledge.
On the basis of the responses to 38 questions in the survey, approximately 46.7% of elderly people were identified as having a good knowledge of health. Knowledge of the proper amount of certain foods and liquids as well as that of psychological disorder among the elderly recorded a low percentage at < 60%. Factors related to health behavior knowledge among the elderly were as follows educational attainment, past occupation, and location of residence. Participants who finished high school or higher had 6, 4, and 3 times greater odds of possessing adequate health knowledge than those who attained below primary school, primary school, and junior high school levels, respectively. Those with experience as administrative and technical personnel, workers, migrant workers, and farmers had 2.5, 2.3, 3.9, and 2.1 times greater odds of possessing adequate health knowledge, respectively, than those who were unemployed. Respondents living in the city had 3.7 times greater odds of possessing adequate health knowledge than those living in the countryside. In the stem family, the health knowledge of the elderly was significantly lower than that of their children (P < 0.001). However, the influence of their children's knowledge upper their elder's was relatively weak.
The need to improve health behavior knowledge among the Chinese elderly remains high. Medical personnel in the community should provide health education related to proper diet and alcohol intake, as well as psychological health, particularly for those elderly who only reached primary school and below, used to be unemployed, and are living in rural areas. Children of stem families should be guided to enhance their health education and contribute to the health knowledge of their elderly parents.
关于老年人的健康行为知识以及与他们同住的子女之间的互动，相关研究较为有限。本研究通过对社区老年人及其同住子女进行调查，探讨了决定健康行为知识的特征，并确定了影响这些知识的因素。还调查了老年人和其子女健康行为知识之间的关系。
采用多阶段概率抽样法（老年人的子女数=201）抽取了 1207 名老年人。我们使用自行设计的行为知识问卷（38 个问题）对参与者进行调查。回答完 38 个问题后，确定总分。通过逻辑回归，将得分≥24 的组和得分<24 的组区分开，以解释影响健康知识的因素。
根据调查中对 38 个问题的回答，约 46.7%的老年人被认为具有良好的健康知识。老年人对某些食物和液体的适量摄入以及老年人心理障碍的知识得分均低于 60%。与老年人健康行为知识相关的因素包括受教育程度、过去的职业和居住地点。高中及以上学历的参与者拥有足够健康知识的可能性分别是小学及以下、小学和初中的 6、4 和 3 倍。有行政和技术人员、工人、农民工和农民经历的参与者分别具有足够健康知识的可能性是失业者的 2.5、2.3、3.9 和 2.1 倍。居住在城市的受访者拥有足够健康知识的可能性是居住在农村的受访者的 3.7 倍。在直系家庭中，老年人的健康知识明显低于其子女（P<0.001）。然而，子女的知识对老年人的影响相对较弱。
中国老年人提高健康行为知识的需求仍然很高。社区医务人员应提供有关适当饮食和饮酒、心理健康方面的健康教育，特别是针对那些仅接受过小学及以下教育、曾失业且居住在农村地区的老年人。直系家庭的子女应受到引导，加强健康教育，为其老年父母的健康知识做出贡献。
