Shi Chunhong, Long Xin, Xia Silan, Zhao Hao, Wu Chenjun, Zhang Yiliang, Tang Xinying, Li Chunyan
School of Nursing, XiangNan University, Chenzhou, 423000, China.
School of Nursing, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 300 Xueshi Road, Hanpu Science and Education Park, Yuelu District, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China.
BMC Geriatr. 2025 Jun 9;25(1):421. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06081-7.
As the global population ages, promoting healthy ageing among empty-nest older adults has become increasingly important in addressing their physical, psychological, and social challenges and supporting a high quality of life. Psychological resilience could be an important potential promoter in achieving healthy ageing. However, the unique characteristics of healthy ageing and psychological resilience among empty-nest older adults in Chinese communities remain underexplored. This study explored the current status of healthy ageing and psychological resilience among community-dwelling empty-nest older adults and analyzed their relationship.
A cross-sectional study design was employed between January and June 2024. Empty-nest older adults were recruited from urban, suburban, and rural communities in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, using a stratified cluster sampling method. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted using the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Healthy Ageing Instrument, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 26.0) and AMOS (version 24.0), employing t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, hierarchical linear regression, and structural equation modeling.
The scores for healthy ageing and psychological resilience of the participants were 134.34 ± 20.06 (out of 175 points) and 72.52 ± 13.97 (out of 100 points), respectively. Living arrangement, major income source, and frequency of social activities were significantly associated with the healthy ageing scores of empty-nest older adults. The inclusion of psychological resilience as a factor further enhanced the model's explanatory power by 29.8% (F = 25.454, p < 0.001).
Empty-nest older adults in the Chinese community show a desirable level of healthy ageing and psychological resilience, yet there is still room for improvement. Those who live with their spouses, have retirement pensions, engage regularly in social activities, and demonstrate strong psychological resilience tend to achieve a higher level of healthy ageing. Policies and strategies could focus on creating a more supportive environment, reducing health inequities among empty-nest older adults, and fostering psychological resilience to effectively promote healthy ageing.
随着全球人口老龄化，促进空巢老年人健康老龄化对于应对他们的身体、心理和社会挑战以及支持高质量生活变得越来越重要。心理韧性可能是实现健康老龄化的一个重要潜在促进因素。然而，中国社区空巢老年人健康老龄化和心理韧性的独特特征仍未得到充分探索。本研究探讨了社区居住空巢老年人的健康老龄化和心理韧性现状，并分析了它们之间的关系。
采用横断面研究设计，时间为2024年1月至6月。使用分层整群抽样方法，从湖南省郴州市的城市、郊区和农村社区招募空巢老年人。采用社会人口学问卷、健康老龄化量表和康纳-戴维森韧性量表进行面对面问卷调查。使用SPSS（版本26.0）和AMOS（版本24.0）进行数据分析，采用t检验、方差分析、Pearson相关分析、分层线性回归和结构方程模型。
参与者的健康老龄化得分和心理韧性得分分别为134.34±20.06（满分175分）和72.52±13.97（满分100分）。居住安排、主要收入来源和社会活动频率与空巢老年人的健康老龄化得分显著相关。将心理韧性作为一个因素纳入后，模型的解释力进一步提高了29.8%（F = 25.454，p < 0.001）。
中国社区的空巢老年人在健康老龄化和心理韧性方面表现出一定水平，但仍有提升空间。与配偶同住、有退休金、经常参加社会活动且心理韧性强的空巢老年人往往能实现更高水平的健康老龄化。政策和策略可以侧重于创造更有利的环境，减少空巢老年人之间的健康不平等，并培养心理韧性，以有效促进健康老龄化。
