Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to assess ethnic differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the rural elderly, and to examine the influence of ethnic culture, residential segregation and socioeconomic development on HRQoL.MethodsA total of 6,511 rural elderly aged 60 years and older from 5,541 households in 116 villages across eight ethnic groups in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region were selected and assessed for HRQoL. The EQ-5D index values were calculated based on the Chinese Time Trade-Off values set. The EQ-5D descriptive system scores, visual analogue scale scores, and index values were described by ethnic group. The EQ-5D index was modeled against ethnic culture, residential segregation and socioeconomic development using villages as random effects.ResultsThe median (IQR) of HRQoL among all the ethnic groups was 0.88 (0.80, 0.96). Pain/discomfort was the most prevalent problem, followed by anxiety/depression. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, a significant difference in HRQoL among ethnic groups persisted, but this was not true for residential segregation.ConclusionSocial welfare and health policies designed to improve the health of the rural elderly should focus more on older, female, less-educated, Yao minority individuals as well as lower-income households.
Highlights
This study aimed to assess ethnic differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the rural elderly, and to examine the influence of ethnic culture, residential segregation and socioeconomic development on HRQoL
HRQoL was of the highest level among the Zhuang and of the lowest level among the Yao minority
Our findings revealed that women had a worse HRQoL than men, which is in agreement with the results of previous studies [3, 19, 22]
Summary
This study aimed to assess ethnic differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the rural elderly, and to examine the influence of ethnic culture, residential segregation and socioeconomic development on HRQoL. The numbers of the ageing population in the twenty-first century are experiencing a rapid and unprecedented rise globally [1], and problems related to ageing have posed significant social challenges around the world. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a subjective and multidimensional experience that comprises the physical, functional, social and well-being domains [5]. It mainly reflects on the individual’s life rather than the length of survival, and adequately evaluates health status and its development over time in population health studies. Most previous studies have convincingly documented that it is vital to consider the role of socio-
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