Zhang Xiaochen, Wang Gangyi, Ma Jiwei, Bai Huijing
School of Management, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, China.
School of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
Front Public Health. 2024 Feb 14;12:1329234. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1329234. eCollection 2024.
China's rural residents have basically solved the problem of subsistence, but due to aging, the prevalence of sarcopenia (abbreviated as sarcopenia) has been increasing year by year, especially the skeletal muscle health of the rural older residents has not been sufficiently paid attention to, so analyses of the impact of income level on the skeletal muscle health of the older people in rural areas of China are of great practical significance. Based on the annual data of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) in 2006, 2009, and 2011, we introduced the mediator variable of dietary knowledge and used the Probit model regression, mediation effect model, and instrumental variable regression to assess the skeletal muscle health status of the rural older people in China and explore the mechanism of the influence of the income level on the skeletal muscle health of the rural older residents in China. The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of income level on the skeletal muscle health status of older adults living in rural areas of China and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. By analyzing the findings of this study, our aim is to establish a correlation between the economic status and skeletal muscle health of older adults in rural communities, as well as elucidate the influence of income level and dietary knowledge on their skeletal muscle health. Through the attainment of these objectives, we hope to provide valuable insights and recommendations for enhancing skeletal muscle health among the rural older population in China. Based on our research findings, it can be inferred that there was a significant association between the financial status of rural older adults and their skeletal muscle health. Additionally, the prevalence of sarcopenia was lower among individuals with higher income levels, and there was a negative correlation between the prevalence of sarcopenia and the level of dietary knowledge among rural older individuals. The knowledge of dietary knowledge level of rural older people plays a mediating role in the income level and the prevalence of sarcopenia. Moreover, with the change in income level and the increase in age, the change in skeletal muscle health status showed obvious heterogeneity, in which the effect on the relatively younger (65-70 years old) samples was greater. Therefore, sustained income growth remains an effective way to improve the skeletal muscle health of older rural residents. At the same time, improving dietary knowledge and dietary quality among the older people is important in preventing a decline in muscle strength and physical function and in preventing the onset of sarcopenia.
中国农村居民基本解决了温饱问题，但由于老龄化，肌少症（简称少肌症）患病率逐年上升，尤其是农村老年居民的骨骼肌健康未得到充分重视，因此分析收入水平对中国农村老年人骨骼肌健康的影响具有重要现实意义。基于2006年、2009年和2011年中国健康与营养调查（CHNS）的年度数据，我们引入饮食知识这一中介变量，运用Probit模型回归、中介效应模型和工具变量回归来评估中国农村老年人的骨骼肌健康状况，并探究收入水平对中国农村老年居民骨骼肌健康的影响机制。本研究的主要目的是评估收入水平对中国农村地区老年人骨骼肌健康状况的影响，并探究其潜在机制。通过分析本研究的结果，我们旨在建立农村社区老年人经济状况与骨骼肌健康之间的关联，并阐明收入水平和饮食知识对其骨骼肌健康的影响。通过实现这些目标，我们希望为改善中国农村老年人口的骨骼肌健康提供有价值的见解和建议。基于我们的研究结果，可以推断农村老年人的经济状况与其骨骼肌健康之间存在显著关联。此外，收入水平较高者的少肌症患病率较低，农村老年人中少肌症患病率与饮食知识水平呈负相关。农村老年人的饮食知识水平在收入水平和少肌症患病率之间起中介作用。而且，随着收入水平的变化和年龄的增加，骨骼肌健康状况的变化呈现出明显的异质性，其中对相对年轻（65 - 70岁）样本的影响更大。因此，持续的收入增长仍然是改善农村老年居民骨骼肌健康的有效途径。同时，提高老年人的饮食知识和饮食质量对于预防肌肉力量和身体功能下降以及预防少肌症的发生至关重要。
