CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, 100101, Beijing, China.
Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
BMC Geriatr. 2024 Jan 10;24(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s12877-023-04611-9.
With the rapid population aging, healthy aging has become a concern for society as a whole. In this study, loneliness and its relationships with activity-related individual factors were examined among older Chinese individuals from the perspective of mental health and daily leisure activities.
The data were from the fourth investigation of the Sample Survey of the Aged Population in Urban and Rural China, which had a total of 220,506 participants. Activity ability was assessed by the Barthel Activity of Daily Living Index, a self-designed activity type questionnaire was used to evaluate activity participation, and loneliness was measured with a single-item question.
The prevalence of varying degrees of loneliness among Chinese older individuals was 36.6%. The prevalence of loneliness among the older individuals differed significantly by age gender, age, physical health status, annual household income, education level, marital status, living status, ethnic minority status, religious faith and territory of residence. There were differences in activity participation among older Chinese adults in terms of all the demographic factors mentioned above, while there were no significant differences in living status or religious faith, and significant differences in several other demographic factors in terms of activity ability. Self-care ability, as a form of activity ability, and activity participation significantly predicted loneliness among the older participants.
The topic of loneliness among Chinese older individuals is complex and requires greater attention. The buffering effect of activity-related factors on loneliness suggests that old people should improve their activity ability and participate more in daily activities.
随着人口老龄化的快速发展，健康老龄化已成为全社会关注的焦点。本研究从心理健康和日常休闲活动的角度，考察了中国老年人的孤独感及其与活动相关个体因素的关系。
数据来自中国城乡老年人口抽样调查第四次调查，共有 220506 名参与者。活动能力通过巴氏日常生活活动指数评估，使用自我设计的活动类型问卷评估活动参与度，孤独感用单项问题衡量。
中国老年人中不同程度孤独感的患病率为 36.6%。老年人的孤独感患病率在年龄、性别、年龄、身体健康状况、年家庭收入、教育水平、婚姻状况、居住状况、少数民族状况、宗教信仰和居住地等方面存在显著差异。在上述所有人口统计学因素中，中国老年人的活动参与度存在差异，而居住状况或宗教信仰没有差异，在其他几个人口统计学因素方面存在显著差异活动能力。自理能力作为一种活动能力，与活动参与度显著预测老年人的孤独感。
中国老年人孤独感的问题比较复杂，需要引起更多关注。活动相关因素对孤独感的缓冲作用表明，老年人应提高活动能力，更多地参与日常活动。
