School of Public Policy and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, People's Republic of China.
School of Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, People's Republic of China.
Clin Interv Aging. 2019 Jul 17;14:1285-1296. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S205734. eCollection 2019.
South Africa has been experiencing a growing proportion of elderly population with rapid increases in the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) characteristic of population aging. Rural areas in South Africa represent a far smaller fraction of the population, however, share a relatively higher burden of NCDs. In the current literature, there is limited evidence on rural studies in the context of chronic diseases and activities of daily living (ADLs) among the elderly population (60 years and above) in South Africa. In this regard, we undertook the present study with the objective of examining the demographic, behavioral, and socioeconomic predictors of subjective health, depression, and quality of life among elderly men and women living in the rural areas (n=2,627). Data for this study were collected from the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI). Main explanatory variables were self-reported NCDs and difficulties in ADLs. The predictors of subjective health, depression, and quality of life were assessed using multivariable regression methods. We found that the proportion of participants who reported good health, not having depression, and good quality of life was respectively 44.7%, 81.3%, and 63%. Women in the oldest age group (80+ years) were significantly less likely to report good health (OR=0.577, 95% CI=0.420, 0.793) and quality of life (OR=0.709, 95% CI=0.539, 0.933) compared with those in the youngest group. Having more than one chronic condition and ADL difficulties significantly lowered the odds of good health, having no depression, and quality of life among men and women. The present findings suggest the involvement of sociodemographic factors in health and quality of life outcomes among elderly South Africans, and call for enhanced efforts to address these health limiting conditions such as ADLs and chronic multimorbidity.
南非的老年人口比例不断增加，人口老龄化带来的非传染性疾病（NCDs）负担也迅速增加。南非的农村地区人口占比要小得多，但 NCD 负担相对较高。在当前的文献中，关于南非农村地区老年人群（60 岁及以上）慢性疾病和日常生活活动（ADL）的农村研究证据有限。有鉴于此，我们开展了本项研究，旨在探讨生活在农村地区的老年男性和女性的人口统计学、行为学和社会经济学因素与主观健康、抑郁和生活质量的关系（n=2627）。本研究的数据来自非洲健康与老龄化研究：南非一个深入社区的纵向研究（HAALSI）。主要解释变量为自我报告的 NCD 和 ADL 困难。使用多变量回归方法评估主观健康、抑郁和生活质量的预测因素。我们发现，报告健康状况良好、无抑郁和生活质量良好的参与者比例分别为 44.7%、81.3%和 63%。最年长组（80 岁及以上）的女性报告健康状况良好（OR=0.577，95%CI=0.420，0.793）和生活质量良好（OR=0.709，95%CI=0.539，0.933）的可能性显著低于最年轻组。患有多种慢性疾病和 ADL 困难会显著降低男性和女性健康状况良好、无抑郁和生活质量良好的几率。本研究结果表明，社会人口因素对南非老年人群的健康和生活质量结果有影响，需要加强努力来解决 ADL 和多种慢性疾病等限制健康的条件。
