Health lifestyles and Chinese oldest-old’s subjective well-being—evidence from a latent class analysis

BMC Geriatrics

Xiangyang Bi¹  Zhihong Ding²  Li Zhang³ 

[1] School of Ethnology and Sociology, Minzu University of China, No. 27, Zhongguancunnan Street, Haidian District, 100081, Beijing, China;School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, 100081, Beijing, China;School of Sociology, China University of Political Science and Law, 102249, Beijing, China;

关键词: Health lifestyles;    Socioeconomic status;    Latent class analysis;    Chinese oldest-old;    CLHLS;    Subjective well-being;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12877-021-02121-0

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPrevious research on the associations between lifestyle behaviors and health has largely focused on morbidity, mortality and disease prevention. More attention should be paid to examining relationships between lifestyle behaviors and positive health outcomes such as well-being. The aim of the study was to classify Chinese oldest-old’s health lifestyles and evaluate the manner in which health lifestyles have impacted Chinese oldest-old’s subjective well-being.MethodsAnalyzing the 2014 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), latent class analysis was applied to identify predominant health lifestyles among Chinese oldest-old aged 85 to 105. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression models were used to assess the effects of health lifestyles on Chinese oldest-old’s subjective well-being, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics.ResultsFour distinct classes representing health lifestyles emerged. Health lifestyles were found to be strongly associated with Chinese oldest-old’s subjective well-being, even after controlling for demographic features as well as individual and parental socioeconomic disadvantage. Findings showed that healthy lifestyle behaviors stimulated Chinese oldest-old’s positive feelings and led to better evaluative subjective well-being. In contrast, less healthy lifestyle behaviors can be a predictor of negative feelings.ConclusionsThe regression results highlighted the importance of integrating health lifestyle choices in promoting oldest-old’s psychological well-being. Elders can tackle healthier lifestyle behaviors in their daily lives to reduce the risk of mental health problems. Practicing healthy lifestyles should be integrated in programs for mental health promotion.

【 授权许可】

CC BY