Quality of Life and Related Factors in the Older Rural and Urban Chinese Populations in Zhejiang Province

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in the older rural and urban Chinese populations in Zhejiang province. An analysis of the association between potential factors and QoL for these two groups was conducted. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2007. The total sample consisted of 2,441 rural and 2,554 urban participants. A Chinese version of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to quantify the QoL of participants. A comparison between the QoL of rural and urban participants was made. The association between potential factors and QoL was performed using a multiple linear regression model. The study revealed all scale scores of SF-36 in the rural population were significantly lower than those in the urban population except general health (GH; p < .001). The common factors associated with high QoL in both older rural and urban populations were gender (male), tea consumption, income, and consumption of alcohol. Age and the number of chronic diseases an individual suffered from were negatively associated with QoL. In addition, the study revealed the perception that giving up smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol were negatively associated with QoL for participants living in rural areas, whereas educational level and regular exercise were positively associated with QoL for participants living in urban areas. Intervention programs for decreasing chronic diseases, establishing security mechanisms of the pension, and spreading the knowledge of healthy lifestyles may improve QoL for the older populations in Zhejiang province, especially in rural areas.