Business School, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
Research Center for Government Governance and Public Policy of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
Front Public Health. 2023 Oct 6;11:1259204. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1259204. eCollection 2023.
As the population of older adult in China keeps growing, the degree of aging is becoming increasingly serious and the health of older adults is a growing concern. Comparing the personal characteristics and health levels of urban and rural older adults and determining the relationship between these factors are of great significance in maintaining their health. In addition, exploring how these relationships differ between urban and rural areas is important.
This study conducted a literature review to examine the impact of various factors on the physical and mental health of older adults in urban and rural areas in China. Moreover, based on cross-sectional data from the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), urban-rural differences in the factors' degree of influence on the perceived health of older adults were studied using multiple logistic regression.
Regular physical exercise had a powerful protective effect on urban older adults' physical and mental health, whereas regular participation in social activities had a positive impact on rural older adults' health. Low income, low educational level, low social trust, lack of a partner, and having more than one child negatively affected the physical health of rural older people. Low socioeconomic status had a negative impact on rural people's health both in mind and body. Overall, the rural adults' health status was found to be relatively low and deserves more attention.
This study demonstrated that older people's physical and mental health levels can be significantly affected by the frequency of daily activities and individual and family characteristics. Furthermore, urban-rural differences were observed. These findings could provide feasible suggestions for governments, communities, and older adults' family members to help alleviate health inequality.
随着中国老年人口的不断增长，老龄化程度日益严重，老年人的健康问题越来越受到关注。比较城乡老年人的个体特征和健康水平，确定这些因素之间的关系，对于维护老年人的健康具有重要意义。此外，探讨这些关系在城乡之间的差异也很重要。
本研究通过文献回顾，考察了各种因素对中国城乡老年人身心健康的影响。此外，基于 2017 年中国综合社会调查（CGSS）的横断面数据，采用多因素逻辑回归分析了这些因素对城乡老年人健康感知的影响程度存在差异。
定期进行体育锻炼对城市老年人的身心健康有很强的保护作用，而定期参加社会活动对农村老年人的健康有积极影响。低收入、低教育水平、低社会信任、缺乏伴侣和有多个子女对农村老年人的身体健康有负面影响。低社会经济地位对农村居民的身心健康都有负面影响。总的来说，农村成年人的健康状况相对较低，需要更多关注。
本研究表明，老年人的身心健康水平会受到日常活动频率以及个体和家庭特征的显著影响，并且存在城乡差异。这些发现可以为政府、社区和老年人的家庭成员提供可行的建议，以帮助缓解健康不平等。
