Analysis of the factors influencing chronic diseases in middle-aged and elderly men: a cross-sectional survey in China

Abstract

The prevalence of chronic diseases has increased in recent years among middle-aged and elderly men in China. This study focuses on the current prevalence and factors influencing chronic diseases among middle-aged and elderly men in the context of population ageing. The aim is to provide a reference for the development of preventive and control measures for chronic diseases and to improve the health of middle-aged and elderly men in China. Data was obtained from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), and the middle-aged and older population of men (aged 45 and above) were considered for analysis. The factors affecting the prevalence of chronic diseases were analysed using a binary logistic regression model, with the presence or absence of chronic diseases as the dependent variable and personal characteristics and lifestyle as the independent variables. The results of descriptive statistics showed that the prevalence of chronic diseases among middle-aged and elderly men in China was 42.6%, the top five diseases being hypertension (14.7%), arthritis and rheumatism (12.8%), stomach diseases (9.9%), dyslipidaemia (9.7%) and heart disease (6.6%). The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that ages between 60 and 70 years (OR (odds Ratio) = 0.565, 95% CI (confidence interval) = 0.398–0.802), living in a combination of urban and rural areas (OR = 1.276, 95%CI = 1.086–1.498), smoking (OR = 0.458, 95% CI = 0.357–0.587), sleeping for 6–7 h (OR = 1.255, 95% CI = 0.994–1.585), self-rated good health (OR = 1.846, 95%CI = 1.549–2.200) and self-rated very good health (OR = 1.758, 95% CI = 1.454–2.126) were factors that influenced the prevalence of chronic diseases among Chinese middle-aged and elderly men. The Chinese government should formulate NCD (Non-communicable diseases) prevention and control measures suitable for the middle-aged and elderly population of men according to different regions and groups. These measures can help improve the health levels of the middle-aged and elderly population and comprehensively promote the concept of healthy ageing.