Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: The objective of this study was to evaluate the health status and associated factors of the elderly Chinese population. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 849 elderly people aged 60 years and over living in a certain district of Nanjing, China. A health rating scale based on the characteristics of the elderly in China was used. The difference of self-rated health between different groups was tested using an ANOVA, and the associated factors were tested using an ordinal logistic regression. Findings: The results showed that the general health of the elderly Chinese people studied was not good. The scores of body function, self-care ability, and physical health decreased gradually with age. The scores of men were higher than those of women in terms of emotional personality. The factors associated with the health status of the elderly were education, living mode and marital status. The health status of the elderly Chinese and the associated factors highlighted in this study demonstrated that emotional and social support were more important than financial support for promoting the mental health of the elderly. Conclusion & Significance: These findings will provide a basis for the development of programmes promoting the health management and healthy ageing of the elderly in China.

Biography

Pei Liu is a Professor and his research interests are focused on the health status and associated factors among the elderly in China. He is also interested in the health management model and health care improvement among Chinese elderly.