Comparison of health-related quality of life between the Han and Yi ethnicity elderly in the Yi autonomous areas of Yunnan Province

Lingyun Ran,Hongqian Kong,Qiong Zhong,Mengqi Du,Qin Ye,Huineng Luo,Jianhui He,Jiang Zhang,Yanping Si,Cheng Yao,Yuanyuan Ran

doi:10.1186/s12877-019-1257-1

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of this research was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional abilities of Yi and Han elderly who resided in Yi Autonomous prefecture or Counties in Yunnan Province, as well as to compare their differences in HRQOL, functional abilities and other factors.MethodsA total of 1636 older subjects, which included 863 Han and 773 Yi, were recruited from 10 Yi Autonomous regions. Their HRQOL and functional capabilities were assessed by the MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scales.ResultsThe Han elderly performed better in every domain of SF-36 than the Yi elderly. Both of the two ethnic groups could perform their ADL independently but the Yi elderly showed greater dependency in IADL abilities. The HRQOL was positively associated with their ADL, IADL, and education levels. Moreover, age, health insurance status, and living arrangement were negatively correlated with HRQOL.ConclusionThe HRQOL and IADL capabilities of the Han elderly were higher than that of the Yi counterparts in the Yi Autonomous regions. The HRQOL of both the two ethnic groups was positively connected with ADL, IADL abilities as well as education levels, whereas it was negatively correlated with age and health insurance. The elderly-care policy on the Yi autonomous areas should focus more on the HRQOL, ADL improvement, education background, age needs, and health insurance, etc.

Highlights

The purpose of this research was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional abilities of Yi and Han elderly who resided in Yi Autonomous prefecture or Counties in Yunnan Province, as well as to compare their differences in HRQOL, functional abilities and other factors
Sociodemographic characteristics of participants A total of 1636 elderly were enrolled in this research and responded to the interviews, which included 863 Han elderly and 773 Yi older subjects
This research identified that both the Health-related Quality of Life of the Han and Yi ethnic group elderly was not ideal, Han elderly had higher scores in social functioning (SF)-36 compared to the Yi elderly

Summary

Introduction

The purpose of this research was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional abilities of Yi and Han elderly who resided in Yi Autonomous prefecture or Counties in Yunnan Province, as well as to compare their differences in HRQOL, functional abilities and other factors. Yunnan province, located in southwestern China, is bounded by Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam [1]. It is one of the least developed provinces of the country in terms of economy, science, technology or social services. There are 26 ethnic groups in Yunnan, including 25 ethnic minorities and the national majority Han people. Yunnan is characterized by its scattered spatial distribution of the population, with small settlements of different ethnic. The Yi is the most populous minority group in Yunnan, with approximately 5.41million people [4]. Compared with Han people which are the majority in Yunnan, most ethnic Yi people and other minorities live in relatively adverse situations [5]. Ethnic Yi people can be seen all over the whole province, in Chuxiong and

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