Living experience and care needs of Chinese empty-nest elderly people in urban communities in Beijing,China:A qualitative study

Background:Empty-nest elders have considerable needs for daily living,health care,and social support in China.The growing need for care of an aging population requires to be met through adequate policy decision making by government.Aim:To explore care needs of Chinese empty-nest elderly people and to provide reference information for relevant authorities in making care-supporting policies.Method:A descriptive qualitative study design was adopted.Twenty-five senior citizens in urban communities who were not living with their children were recruited from three communities in different districts of Beijing.In-depth interviews with a semi-structured questionnaire were used to collect data.A qualitative content analysis method was used to analyze data.Results:A major care need by the empty-nest elderly was home-based care.In view of their physical condition,need of support and their own security problems,they would like to have aging-in-place,home-based care by housemaid employment,or have institutionalized care in the future.However,they had some concerns about institutionalized care.Conclusions:A combination of home-based and community-based care is a suitable mode of care for the empty-nest elderly,and institutionalized care is an expected supplementary form of care.

The power of informal institutions:The impact of clan culture on the depression of the elderly in rural China

Exploration of ways to improve the subjective welfare of residents is an important area of current academic research.Using data from the China Family Panel Studies survey conducted in 2010,this paper investigated the impact of clan culture on the mental health of elderly people in rural China.The results demonstrated that clan culture can significantly decrease the depression score of the rural elderly.Further,there was no gender difference with respect to the impact of clan culture on the depression score of the elderly.At the same time,the positive effects of clan culture on the depression score of the elderly have gradually weakened with economic development.Exploration of the mechanisms involved indicated that in areas with stronger clan culture,older people receive more social support.This study enriches our understanding of the impact of informal institutions on the welfare of rural residents.At the same time,it can also provide a certain decisionmaking reference for the government to formulate relative poverty relief strategies in a new stage of poverty alleviation.

Empty-nest elderly:mahjong and Chinese square dance for improving the cognitive function in the community

Objective: The elderly population has proliferated worldwide. The empty-nest family pattern has become predominant among the aging people, and they are more vulnerable to the development of cognitive disorders. However, there is no standardized service in the community nursing care that includes procedures on how to improve the cognitive function of the elderly. Meanwhile, the booming number of empty-nest elderly stimulates the community nurses to assume the responsibility for their care. All of these bring more difficulties and opportunities for community nurses who are dedicated to the prevention of geriatric cognitive disorders.Methods: The authors reviewed the literature related to "empty-nest elderly", "cognitive function","mahjong",and "Chinese square dance" in the Elsevier, Web of Science(WOS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Springer and PubMed databases. The study illustrates the utility possibility of an efficient and straightforward method for improving the cognitive function among the elderly in the context of community nursing care in China and even in the rest of the world.Results: Mental and physical activity contributes to cognitive fitness and may be beneficial in delaying cognitive decline. Mental activities, such as playing mahjong, and physical activities, such as the Chinese square dance, are common Chinese activities. Both of them can affect cognitive function in some way.Conclusions: China is experiencing one of its most severe aging problems. Community health personnel and related professionals may consider using mahjong and Chinese square dance to promote psychological health in empty-nest elderly individuals in the community.

Significant Differences in Elderly Health between Urban and Rural Communities: A Literature Review

This study aimed to examine measures pertaining to elderly health in urban versus rural settings, and to identify differences in the health of elderly people living in urban and rural communities through a literature review. An electronic literature search was performed using PubMed for English articles published in peer-reviewed journals up to August 2018, with the following search terms: “urban”, “rural”, “comparison of community”, “elderly health”, and “comparison of community health”. A total of 35 articles were extracted for a critical full-text review, and six articles that met the inclusion criteria were subjected to analysis. Measures related to elderly health in urban and rural communities were classified into the following three categories: functional abilities, health, and health perception. Five of the six articles described functional abilities (e.g., social function) and health (e.g., mental health, depression) as categories with significant differences in elderly health between urban and rural communities. The results suggest that elderly health measures related to social function and mental health or depression are more important outcome measures of effective person-centered integrated community care systems from the perspective of community characteristics. As there were only a few articles reporting on elderly health according to differences in environment between urban and rural communities, further investigation is globally warranted.

Investigation and Countermeasures on the Health-Promoting Lifestyle of the Disabled Elderly in a Rural Area

Objective： To investigate the level of health-promoting lifestyle in the disabled elderly in a rural area and to provide useful countermeasures for health care workers and the government to improve the elderly＇ s lifestyle behaviors. Methods： A total of 446 disabled elderly people were recruited and examined using the General Questionnaire and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Results： The mean score of the health-promoting lifestyle was 109.73（ SD = 16.80）, in which 90.6 percent of the disabled elderly demonstrated unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. The average score for each of the subscales includedthe following： interpersonal relations, stress management, nutrition, self-actualization, health responsibility, and sports activity. Conclusions： The health-promoting lifestyle of the disabled elderly needs to be improved; health care workers and the government should pay more attention to the countermeasures that can improve the lifestyle behaviors and promote the health of the disabled elderly.

An Analysis of the Demand for Education for the Elderly in Rural Areas:A Caso Study of the Suburbs of Hangzhou

The education for the elderly is the last link of life-long education and an important part of spiritually providing for the aged.In the context of rural revitalization,this paper chooses the elderly in the suburbs of Hangzhou,an eastern developed city,as the survey object.Through the methods of questionnaire survey and quantitative statistics,this paper analyzes and introduces the basic situation of rural education for the elderly,the demand for participating in education for the elderly,the learning evaluation of education for the elderly and the problems existing in the education for the elderly in rural areas.On this basis,some brief conclusions and discussions are put forward.

Factors associated with active aging in Chinese elderly in rural areas of Xiangtan County,China

Objectives:To explore the level of active aging and correlates among rural elderly in Xiangtan County,China.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to November 2019.A total of 945 rural elderly from 3 towns in Xiangtan County,China,were investigated by using the positive aging evaluation questionnaire(PAEQ),the activity of daily living scale(ADL),and the depression in old-age scale(DIA-S).Results:The average score in the PAEQ among the rural elderly of Xiangtan County was 72.81(range=21-105).A moderate negative correlation was found between the score in the PAEQ and those in the ADL(r=−0.361)and DIA-S(r=−0.495).Symptoms of depression(β:−0.321,P=0.001),number of chronic diseases(β:−0.281,P=0.001),subjective economic status(β:0.239,P=0.001),ADL(β:−0.196,P=0.001),education(β:0.126,P=0.001),number of children(β:0.097,P=0.001),and marital status(β:−0.060,P=0.001)were significantly associated with levels of active aging in rural elderly,whereas gender and age were not independently related to active aging.Conclusions:The level of active aging is at a moderately high level in the Chinese elderly in rural areas in Xiangtan County.The focus group of active aging in rural areas should be elderly people suffering from chronic diseases,physical decline,poor education and economic conditions,childlessness,and those without partners.

Relationship between the Self-Efficacy and Mental Health of Elderly Patients with Coronary Heart Disease in Rural Hebei Province

Objective:To investigate the self-efficacy and mental health of elderly patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)in rural Hebei Province as well as to analyze the relationship between them.Methods:From June 2021 to December 2021,480 elderly patients with CHD from rural areas,who had been discharged by the Department of Cardiology from three tertiary hospitals in three cities with different economic levels in Hebei Province for more than a year,were selected as the research subjects.The general self-efficacy scale(GSES)and symptom self-rating scale(SCL-90)were used to investigate the self-efficacy and mental health of these patients.SPSS 25.0 was used for data analysis.Results:The total mean self-efficacy score of elderly patients with CHD in rural Hebei Province was 17.18±4.68,which is lower than the international norm(t=-32.067,P=0.000)and the national norm(t=-28.783,P=0.000);the total average SCL-90 score was 148.64±55.13,which is higher than the national norm for adults and the reference norm for ordinary elderly people;except for hostility and psychosis,the other dimensions were significantly higher than the national norm for adults(P<0.05);except for psychosis,the other dimensions were significantly higher than the reference norm for ordinary elderly people(P<0.05);the self-efficacy score was found to be negatively correlated with the total SCL-90 score and the score for each dimension(P<0.05).Conclusion:Elderly CHD patients with higher self-efficacy in rural Hebei Province have higher mental health level.It is suggested that the mental health of elderly patients with CHD in rural areas can be improved by improving their self-efficacy.

Reform and Reconstruction of the Rural Elderly Care Service System in the New Era

With decades of hard work,socialism with Chinese characteristics has crossed the threshold into a new era.The transformation of the principal contradiction in the new era has imposed new and higher requirements on the rural elderly care service system.However,the current service system based on welfare-multiplex and urban community environment is often difficult to operate in the rural areas of central and western China.And the urban home care service for the aged is inappropriate to the rural reality;community service for the aged faces difficulties in practice;institution care for the aged develops slowly;the synergy among different elderly care service models is poor.Through observing the rural areas of central and western China in the field for a long time,this paper proposes to build the rural elderly care service system based on family supporting,supported by community mutual assistance care,supplemented by institution care for the aged,combined with medical care,and localized with diversified forms for targeted groups according to different realities.And the system should follow the fundamental guidance of development-oriented family policy,adhere to the governance mode of multiple subjects with one core and respect rural reality,which could provide a feasible way for the reform and reconstruction of the rural elderly care service system.

Analysis on Long-Term Care and Influencing Factors of Empty-Nest Differently Abled Elderly People in China —Based on the Data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the actual needs of empty-nest differently abled elderly people and analyze their long-term care status including the factors affecting choice of care mode so adequate resources can be allocated to meet their healthcare needs. Methods: An empty-nest group was compared with a non-empty-nest group based on data from the 2014 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Individual characteristics, family characteristics, and sociological factors were considered as independent variables, and long-term care model was the dependent variable in the three binary logistic regression method. Results: Age, gender, marriage, and disability were the most important factors influencing the choice of long-term care mode, including the willingness of the differently abled elderly. Family care can no longer meet the needs of the severely disabled elderly. Long-term care for such elderly people should be undertaken by professional and specialized social institutions. Conclusion: Multi-level services should be provided according to the elderly peoples’ needs, and the skill and expertise of professional personnel of care institutions should be strengthened. The government should deploy fund-raising initiatives, actively use the power of non-governmental organizations, and strive to resolve the financial issues faced by the empty-nested elderly people with disability.

Dilemma and Path for Rural Mutual Aid Elderly Care Model in Underdeveloped Areas——A Case Study of Dazhou City in Sichuan Province

Rural mutual aid elderly care,as an emerging elderly care model,has become an exploration and attempt to rebuild rural communities in the process of rural social transformation.At present,in the vast underdeveloped rural areas,the rural mutual aid elderly care model is faced with such problems as imperfect policies and regulations,insufficient funds,single service items,lack of professional services,and limited functions of civil organizations.It is necessary to strengthen the formulation and improvement of laws and regulations,and to ensure the stable source of funds,enhance the level of specialization,and give full play to the functions of social organizations in the rural mutual aid elderly care model,so as to promote the sustainable development of the rural mutual aid elderly care model.

Childcare,Elderly Caring and Off-farm Employment of Rural Couples in China

Based on the representative sample survey data of more than 1 000 farmers in 101 villages of 25 counties of 5 provinces in China,within the framework of family collective decision-making,this paper studied the effects and heterogeneity of childcare and elderly caring on the off-farm employment mode of rural couples. It found that caring the children younger than 3 years old significantly reduces the possibility of offfarm employment of rural couples;conversely,if there is 60-80 years old member in the family,it will significantly increase the possibility of off-farm employment of rural couples or the wives. Caring the children above 12 years old or the elderly older than 80 years old reduces the possibility of off-farm employment of the husbands. Whether there is preschool education service facility in the village has no effect on the off-farm employment of the couples.

The prevalence of depression among the empty-nest elderly in China:a meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies

Empty-nest elderly are those who have no children or whose children are away from home,and they have to live alone or with their spouses.The prevalence of depression in the elderly is worrying,especially in the empty-nest elderly.This study aimed to examine the prevalence of depression among the empty-nest elderly in China and explore the factors that influence depression among the empty-nest elderly.Methods:We searched both international(PubMed,Cochrane Library,Embase,and Web of Science)and Chinese(CNKI,WanFang,SinoMed,and VIP)databases from their inception date until 12 April,2020,and collected cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of depression among the empty-nest elderly in China.Two reviewers independently screened the literature,extracted the data,and evaluated the risk of bias included in the study.Meta-analysis was performed using Stata12.0 software.Results:Twenty-seven cross-sectional studies were included in the meta-analysis.The pooled prevalence of depression among the empty-nest elderly in China was 41%(95%CI:32%–50%).Subgroup analysis revealed that the Geriatric Depression Scale versions,sampling methods,living areas,gender,age,chronic diseases,and living arrangements were associated with the prevalence of depression among the empty-nest elderly in China.Conclusions:The prevalence of depression among the empty-nest elderly in China was relatively high.Researchers could explore more reasons for the differences in the prevalence of depression among the empty-nest elderly from multiple perspectives in the future.Relevant departments should identify and routinely evaluate the negative emotions of the empty-nest elderly.Meanwhile,community nurses should care for the emotional needs of the empty-nest elderly,carry out targeted mental health education,and promote the realization of healthy aging.

Low selenium and reduced cognitive function in a cohort elderly study

Cognitive function in the elderly is affected by various environmental,social,and individual factors.Studies show that chemical trace elements are closely related to cognitive function.As a protective factor,selenium promotes cognition in the elderly.However,study results into the effects of selenium on cognition have varied.By eliminating unstable environmental and other related factors,the present study selected elderly individuals from rural areas of the Shandong province to verify whether low selenium exposure is a risk factor for decreased cognitive function.Results demonstrated that age,sex,education,occupation,hypertension,stroke,and body selenium levels were factors affecting cognitive function in the elderly,and that selenium was an important protective factor.Moreover,results supported the hypothesis that a lifelong low selenium level is associated with low cognitive function.

An Empirical Investigation of Rural Empty-nesters in Chongqing and a Construction of Service System

Based on field investigation, the rural empty-nesters in Chongqing were comprehensively analyzed from their family conditions, economic conditions, concept of old-age care and needs. As is indicated by the research, there is a high proportion of rural empty-nesters who have low income and live alone at home. The situation of empty-nesters has brought about a series of problems, which propose new challenges to the old-age services system. In this paper, related solutions were proposed from both macro and micro perspectives.

村域社会资本与农村老人的社区治理参与

基于对全国11个省份1137位农村老人的问卷调查,从村域社会网络、村域信任和村域规范3个维度考察了村域社会资本对农村老人社区治理参与的影响。结果表明,村域社会网络、村域信任和村域规范均显著正向影响农村老人的社区治理参与,且这一结果具有稳健性。村域社会网络、村域信任和村域规范对农村老人社区治理参与的影响存在着性别、年龄和政治身份的群体差异,特别是村域社会资本的各个维度仅显著影响了非党员群体的社区治理参与,而对党员群体的影响不显著。研究进一步发现,村域社会资本主要通过公平感提升和支持获得状况改善影响农村老人的社区治理参与。要发挥村域社会资本的作用,须打造社区参与平台及空间,为积累村域社会资本提供土壤;还须通过培育参与意识和公共精神,促进村域社会资本的积累,延续村域社会资本的生命力。

农村二孩家庭男孩偏好对长姐体质健康的影响研究

基于资源分配理论,选用中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)2010-2018年数据,考察了农村二孩家庭中男孩偏好对长姐体质健康的影响及内在机制。研究发现:男孩偏好对长姐体质健康具有显著负向影响,相比有妹妹,有弟弟的长姐身高Z评分将降低0.254个单位,表现出发育迟缓和消瘦的概率比正常组将分别提高5%和2%,但与肥胖不存在显著关联。性别平等感知在男孩偏好与长姐体质健康关系中发挥调节效应,父母感知到的社会性别平等越弱,男孩偏好对长姐体质健康的不利影响越强。男孩偏好对长姐体质健康的影响存在异质性,长姐处于学龄期、二孩处于学龄前和父亲出生队列较早时,男孩偏好对长姐体质健康将产生更不利的影响。未来应结合我国农村地区重男轻女的社会环境,在保证儿童福利有效供给的基础上,发展以家庭为核心的福利政策,全面构建普惠型儿童福利支持体系。

Study on the challenge and influence of the built thermal environment on elderly health in rural areas:Evidence from Shandong,China

Elderly health is increasingly recognized as a worldwide challenge with the continuous social aging trend.This study aimed to investigate the thermal conditions of the elderly in rural areas of Shandong,China.The thermal sensation and physiological response performances of elderly participants were examined in their own houses.Results show a clear seasonal pattern in cardiovascular disease mortality,cold stress increases the cardiovascular disease risk.The coal-based stoves serve as the main source of home heating and their limited coverage of the room area gave rise to poor quality of thermal comfort.The analysis of skin temperature for those under 65 and above did not reveal any significant difference in response to different indoor temperatures.The regression results confirm that a colder home leads to a rising value of the elderly’s systolic blood pressure,rising by more than 1 mmHg for every 1℃decrease in indoor temperature and thus posing a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases.The systolic blood pressure value of older subjects rise more when they are exposed to decreasing indoor temperatures,possibly due to an age-related decline in their ability to maintain stability of blood pressure.It is noteworthy that the average blood velocity of older subjects reduces less in response to decreasing indoor temperatures,indicating a weakened capacity to resist cold stress and its associated high risk of hypertension.This investigation provides evidence in favor of improving the thermal environment of the elderly and reducing their risk of cardiovascular diseases.

农村康养产业发展的理论阐释、多元实践与政策协同

农村康养产业作为一种新兴业态,是秉承新发展理念,在乡村舒适性资源利用、后生产主义乡村价值兴起、农村产业融合驱动、城乡地域共同体功能再造、康养政策引领与市场开发的共同作用下发展起来的。在实践中,通过对自然资源、文化资源、中医药资源和森林资源的开发,与乡村旅游、文化体验、休闲度假、景观游赏等相融合,发展出田园康养、文化康养、医疗康养和森林康养等新型形态,在一定程度上满足了老年群体多样化的养老需求,建立了互益性城乡交流渠道,推动了乡村产业振兴和社区建设。但目前其发展的体制机制尚不成熟,存在统筹规划力度不足、业态短板比较突出、专业康养人才匮乏、数字化技术融入较低等问题。文章建议从主体、资本、人才、技术的角度构建政策协同的路径,加强顶层设计、突出康养特色、创新职业培训、推进科技创新,实现农村康养产业的可持续和高质量发展。同时,围绕农村康养产业发展,还应加强对城乡互益性养老服务机制的研究,探讨建立衔接有序、功能互补的城乡养老服务网络的可能路径。

乡村振兴背景下农村旅居康养的发展逻辑、限制与展望

农村退休迁移一度是西方多学科重点关注的研究话题,其兴起主要源自乡村生活价值重估、消费功能兴起以及老年人提高晚年生活质量的要求,但在国内学术界一直缺乏相应关注。伴随中国进入到城市化高速发展、乡村全面振兴的新发展阶段,珠三角、长三角等一些地方已开始出现与国外退休迁移相似的农村旅居康养动向。结合实地调查发现,相较于西方农村退休迁移的发展背景,国内农村旅居康养的产生是市场开发、政策引导、乡村建设和个体诉求共同作用的结果。鉴于国内农村旅居康养还存在全年段康养开发不足、医疗卫生基础薄弱、配套服务设施不完善、专业服务水平不高等问题,建议围绕城乡养老服务需求形成整合性框架,促进康养与旅游融合发展,引导乡村舒适驱动型发展,开展城乡互益性养老交流,建立城乡养老服务联合体,以实现城乡共建共享共富。