School of Social Work, San Diego State University, California.
School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington.
Gerontologist. 2014 Oct;54(5):784-96. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnt106. Epub 2013 Sep 12.
This study examined whether participating in productive activities was associated with better health outcomes among older adults in urban China, including analysis of potential gender differences.
Using a sample of 10,016 urban Chinese adults aged 60 years or older from the 2006 Sample Survey of the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China, we regressed measures of self-rated health, functional health, and depression on productive activities (paid employment, helping with family, and volunteering), controlling for sociodemographic variables.
Those who provided assistance to family members or volunteered had significantly lower levels of depression and better functional and self-rated health than their counterparts. Older adults with paid job, providing family assistance, or volunteering reported significantly lower levels of depression and better functional and self-rated health than those without those activities. However, only older men with paid employment reported significantly less depression, and the effect of family assistance on functional health also differed by gender.
As research increasingly demonstrates the role of productive activities in maintaining health among older adults, our findings can help practitioners or policy makers strategically select or develop health programs to promote productive activities among older adults in urban China.
本研究考察了在中国城市中，参与生产性活动是否与老年人的健康结果有关，包括对潜在性别差异的分析。
利用中国城乡老年人 2006 年抽样调查中 10016 名 60 岁及以上城市成年人的样本，我们将自评健康、功能健康和抑郁等指标回归到生产性活动（有薪工作、帮助家庭和志愿活动）上，同时控制社会人口变量。
那些为家庭成员提供帮助或从事志愿活动的人，其抑郁程度明显较低，功能和自评健康状况也明显较好。有薪工作、提供家庭援助或从事志愿活动的老年人比没有这些活动的老年人报告的抑郁程度明显较低，功能和自评健康状况也较好。然而，只有有薪工作的老年男性报告的抑郁程度明显较低，家庭援助对功能健康的影响也因性别而异。
随着研究越来越多地证明生产性活动在维持老年人健康方面的作用，我们的研究结果可以帮助从业者或政策制定者有策略地选择或制定健康计划，以促进中国城市老年人的生产性活动。
