机构：[1]School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, No. 1023, South Shatai Road, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China.[2]Department of Health Management, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.[3]School of Management, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China[4]School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.[5]School of Sociology and Anthropology Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.[6]The Second Afliated Hospital, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China.[7]Jincheng People’s Hospital, Jincheng, Shanxi, China.
As China's aging trend intensifies and the proportion of empty nests increases, the health-related quality of life of the elderly is the focus of social attention. Previous studies focused on the quality of life of the elderly, rather than empty nesters, and lacked the discussion of the mechanism of influencing factors. Thus, this study aimed to explore the influencing factors of the quality of life (QOL) and interaction mechanisms among empty nesters in Shanxi Province, China, so as to provide practical reference for improving the QOL of empty nesters.
A total of 4901 empty nesters in Shanxi Province, China, were selected using multi-stage random cluster sampling method in this cross-sectional study. The quality of life was assessed with the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Multiple linear regression analysis (stepwise) was performed to examine the factor associated with QOL. Structural equation model (SEM) approach was conducted to test the direct and indirect association between QOL influencing factors with QOL.
The average QOL score of empty nesters was 63.34 (SD = 17.23). The multiple linear regression revealed that gender, age, education, monthly income, drinking status, exercise frequency, physical examination frequency, attention to daily nutritional health, relationship with a spouse and relationship with children were significant predictors of the empty nester's QOL (P < 0.05) (R2 = 0.128). SEM showed that behavioral lifestyle had a direct effect on QOL (β = 0.446, P < 0.001). Socio-economic status had an indirect effect (β = 0.288, P < 0.001) on QOL through behavioral lifestyle. The family relationship had an indirect effect (β = 0.115, P < 0.001) on QOL.
Behavioral lifestyle was the strongest influencing factor in the quality of life among empty nesters, followed by socio-economic status and family relationships. Thus, maintaining a healthy behavioral lifestyle was important to improve the QOL of the empty nesters. Our findings provide a concrete and strong reference for the formulation of targeted intervention strategies.
基金：
The study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China
(No.71874104); Key Laboratory Development Project for Philosophy and Social
Sciences in Guangdong (No. G620369695); Theoretical Research Project of
Aging Policy (No.2020029); MOE (Ministry of education in China) Project of
Humanities and Social Sciences (No.18YJAZH086).
语种：
外文
PubmedID：
中科院(CAS)分区：
出版当年[2020]版：
大类|4 区医学
小类|3 区卫生保健与服务
最新[2025]版：
大类|2 区医学
小类|2 区卫生保健与服务2 区卫生政策与服务
第一作者：
第一作者机构：[1]School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, No. 1023, South Shatai Road, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China.[2]Department of Health Management, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.[3]School of Management, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
共同第一作者：
通讯作者：
通讯机构：[1]School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, No. 1023, South Shatai Road, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China.[2]Department of Health Management, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.[3]School of Management, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714)：
Zhang Chichen,Cai Yuan,Xue Yaqing,et al.Exploring the influencing factors of quality of life among the empty nesters in Shanxi, China: a structural equation model.[J].Health and quality of life outcomes.2021,19(1):156.doi:10.1186/s12955-021-01793-x.
APA：
Zhang Chichen,Cai Yuan,Xue Yaqing,Zheng Xiao,Yang Xiaozhao...&Li Mimi.(2021).Exploring the influencing factors of quality of life among the empty nesters in Shanxi, China: a structural equation model..Health and quality of life outcomes,19,(1)
MLA：
Zhang Chichen,et al."Exploring the influencing factors of quality of life among the empty nesters in Shanxi, China: a structural equation model.".Health and quality of life outcomes 19..1(2021):156
