Sociodemographic, health-related, and social predictors of subjective well-being among Chinese oldest-old: a national community-based cohort study

Gang Cheng,Yan Yan

doi:10.1186/s12877-021-02071-7

Abstract

BackgroundThere is still a lack of systematic investigation of comprehensive contextual factors of subjective well-being (SWB) among Chinese oldest-old. This study aimed to explore sociodemographic, health-related, and social predictors of SWB among Chinese oldest-old using a large and representative sample.MethodsThe study included 49,069 individuals aged 80 and older from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a prospective, nationwide, community-based study conducted from 1998 to 2014. SWB was measured by eight items covering life satisfaction, positive affect (optimism, happiness, personal control, and conscientiousness), and negative affect (anxiety, loneliness, and uselessness). Generalized estimating equation models were used to explore the predictors of SWB.ResultsWe found that age, gender, ethnic group, education, primary occupation before retirement, current marital status, and place of residence were sociodemographic predictors of SWB among the Chinese oldest-old. The health-related predictors included self-rated health, visual function, hearing function, diet quality, smoking status, drinking status, and exercise status. SWB was influenced by some social factors, such as the number of biological siblings, the number of children, leisure activities, financial independence, and access to adequate medical service. In particular, self-rated health, access to adequate medical services, exercise status, and place of residence exert a stronger effect than other factors.ConclusionsSWB in the oldest-old is influenced by a large number of complex sociodemographic, health-related, and social factors. Special attention should be paid to the mental health of centenarians, women, rural residents, widowed, physically disabled, and childless oldest-old people. Relevant agencies can improve physical activities, leisure activities, financial support, and medical services to promote the well-being of the oldest-old.

Highlights

There is still a lack of systematic investigation of comprehensive contextual factors of subjective wellbeing (SWB) among Chinese oldest-old
In terms of social factors, more biological siblings, more children, more frequent leisure activities, financial independence, and access to adequate medical services were significantly associated with a better SWB (p < 0.01), compared to fewer biological siblings, fewer children, less frequent leisure activities, financial dependence, and lack of adequate medical services. Men, widowed, rating their health as bad or very bad, blind or vision loss, and deaf or hearing loss respectively reduced the odds of better SWB by 12, 16, 35% or 63, 25% or 34, and 22% or 19% (p < 0.01), compared to female, married and not separated, rating their health as fair, normal visual function, and normal hearing function. In this large prospective community-based cohort study in China, we found that age, gender, ethnic group, education, primary occupation before retirement, current marital status, and place of residence were sociodemographic predictors of SWB among the Chinese oldestold
SWB was influenced by some social factors, such as the number of biological siblings, the number of children, leisure activities, financial independence, and access to adequate medical service

Summary

Introduction

There is still a lack of systematic investigation of comprehensive contextual factors of subjective wellbeing (SWB) among Chinese oldest-old. This study aimed to explore sociodemographic, health-related, and social predictors of SWB among Chinese oldest-old using a large and representative sample. The population aged 60 years and older is expected to rise to 2 billion by 2050 [1]. People worldwide are living longer, and the oldest-old (aged 80 and above) are the fastest-growing age group globally. China is one of the fastest aging countries and has the largest oldest-old population in the world [2]. Substantial evidence indicates that subjective well-being (SWB) as an important predictor of longevity was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality [5, 6]

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