Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research article

Individual and household-level predictors of health related quality of life among middle-aged people in rural Mid-east China: a cross-sectional study

Authors: Jianfang Zhou, Xiaomei Ru, Norman Hearst

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2014

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

China has an enormous and growing middle-aged population. Little is known about health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for this group, especially in rural areas. We examined HRQOL and its individual and household predictors among middle-aged people in rural Mid-east China.

Methods

HRQOL questionnaires and information about individual and household characteristics were collected from 428 subjects aged 45 to 65 in 12 villages in Mid-east China. We examined the eight dimensions of the SF-36 instrument, along with the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) using a reference sample in Hong Kong for standardization. Individual and household predictors of PCS and MCS were examined by one-way ANOVA and binary logistic regression analysis.

Results

Self-reported HRQOL was similar to that seen in middle-aged populations elsewhere. Based on univariate analyses, PCS differed by age, education, occupation, household per capita income, drinking water supply, and frequency of household members caring about each other; MCS differed by education, household per capita income, drinking water supply, and frequency of caring about each other. Individual and household-level factors accounted for 12.5% and 8.2% of the variance in PCS, respectively, and for 3.1% and 10.7% of the variance in MCS.

Conclusions

HRQOL among middle-aged people in rural China appears similar to that observed elsewhere, and varies by income, education, and other factors. Household factors, particularly the extent to which household members care about each other, are significant predictors of physical and mental health. In addition to improving general socioeconomic conditions, efforts to improve HRQOL for middle-aged people in rural China need to focus on the family environment.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Sung MH, Yoon JW, Son HY: A study of the relationship between stressful life events and mental health in middle-aged women. J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2005, 14: 186-194.
2.
Park HS, Kim SK, Cho GY: A study on climacteric symptoms, depression and quality of life in middle-aged women. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2003, 9: 479-488.
3.
4.
Ware JEJ, Sherbourne CD: The MOS 36 item short form health survey (SF 36): conceptual framework and item selection. Med Care. 1992, 30: 473-483. 10.1097/00005650-199206000-00002.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Ware JE, Kosinski M, Bayliss MS, McHorney CA, Rogers WH, Raczek A: Comparison of methods for the scoring and statistical analysis of SF 36 health profile and summary measures: summary of results from the medical outcomes study. Med Care. 1995, 33: 264-279.CrossRef
6.
7.
Torrance N, Smith BH, Lee AJ, Aucott L, Cardy A, Bennett MI: Analyzing the SF-36 in population-based research: a comparison of methods of statistical approaches using chronic pain as an example. J Eval Clin Pract. 2009, 15: 328-334. 10.1111/j.1365-2753.2008.01006.x.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Ware JE, Gandek B: Overview of the SF-36 health survey and the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) project. J Clin Epidemiol. 1998, 51: 903-912. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00081-X.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Li L, Wang HM, Shen Y: SF-36 health survey questionnaire in Chinese development and performance testing. Chin J Prevent Med. 2002, 2: 109-111.
10.
Xiao YZ, Chen LZ, Xie Z: Use of Chinese version of SF-36 among Chinese rural elders. Chin JGerontol. 2010, 11: 3148-3149.
11.
Li J, Wang H: Validity and reliability test of SF-36 among citizens in Chongqing, China. J Fourth Mil Med Univ. 2009, 14: 1342-1344.
12.
Li R, Gao Q, Li JH: Validity and reliability test of SF-36 among rural residents left behind. Chin J Pub health. 2012, 4: 541-542.
13.
Zhao HS, Wang K, Jin YL: Reliability and validity of SF-36 in health survey among empty-nest elders in countryside. Chin J Pub Health. 2012, 27: 887-889.
14.
Zheng XY, Chen LX: Characteristics of Chinese aging population and policy thinking. Chin Gen Pract. 2006, 10: 1919-1924.
15.
Zhang BC, Deng B, Li J: Study on the quality of life and its effect factors of middle-aged intellectual. Mod Prev Med. 2005, 10: 1278-1280.
16.
Wang F, Deng B: Quality of life and related factors in middle age intellectuals. Chin J Public Health. 2009, 10: 1259-1260.
17.
Du BF, He H, Jin CG, Fu XG, Zhai ZW: Health of Chinese senior intellectuals: a comprehensive evaluation. Popul Res. 2006, 1: 2-12.
18.
Yang JH, Zhai ZW, Wu TN: Sociodemographic analysis on health of middle-aged intelligentsia. Popul Econ. 2007, 5: 45-49.
19.
Ou AH, Liang ZH, Zhou LJ, Wen LJ, Zhou H, Lao YR, Tan JJ, Deng B, Wang F: Health related quality of life and its related factors among middle-aged population in Guangzhou and Guiyang City in China. Chin Primary Health Care. 2005, 10: 28-30.
20.
Zhou LJ, Ou AH, Deng B, Wang F: Health related quality of life and its related factors among middle-aged women from different areas in China. Chin J Public Health. 2005, 7: 874-875.
21.
Chandola T, Clarke P, Wiggins RD, Bartley M: Who you live with and where you live: setting the context for health using multiple membership multilevel models. J Epidemiolo Community Health. 2005, 59: 170-175. 10.1136/jech.2003.019539.CrossRef
22.
Ferrer RL, Palmer R, Burge S: The household contribution to health status: a population-level estimate. Ann Fem, Med. 2005, 2: 102-108.CrossRef
23.
Van Minh H, Byass P, Wall S: Multilevel analysis of effects of individual characteristics and household factors on self-rated health among older adults in rural Vietnam. Japan Geriatrics Soc. 2010, 10: 209-215.
24.
Lam CL, Tse EY, Gandek B, Fong DY: The SF-36 summary scales were valid, reliable, and equivalent in a Chinese population. J Clin Epidemiol. 2005, 5: 815-822.CrossRef
25.
Lam CL, Lauder IJ, Lam TP, Gandek B: Population based norming of the Chinese (HK) version of the SF-36 Health Survey. HK Pract. 1999, 21: 460-470.
26.
Lindholm E, Brevinge H, Bergh CH, Korner U, Lundhplm K: Relationships between self-reported health related quality of life and measures of standardized exercise capacity and metabolic efficiency in a middle-aged and aged healthy population. Qual Life Res. 2003, 12: 575-582. 10.1023/A:1025034919526.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Mishra G, Schofield MJ: Norms for the physical and mental health component summary scores of the SF-36 for young, middle-aged and older Australian women. Qual Life Res. 1998, 7: 215-220. 10.1023/A:1008821913429.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Funahashi K, Takahashi I, Danjo K, Matsuzaka M, Umeda T, Nakaji S: Smoking habits and health-related quality of life in a rural Japanese population. Qual Life Res. 2011, 20: 199-204. 10.1007/s11136-010-9748-8.CrossRefPubMed
29.
30.
31.
Jiang HB, Lin LZ: Subjective wellbeing related factors and its adaption among elders. Chin J Gerontol. 2004, 24: 2461-2462.
32.
33.
Chen W, Chen H: Research on subjective wellbeing among population in Chendu, China. Rural Econ. 2013, 3: 11-15.
34.
35.
36.
Yngwe M, Diderichsen F, Whitehead M, Holland P, Burstrom B: The role of income differences in explaining social inequalities in self-rated health in Sweden and Britain. J Community Health. 2001, 55: 556-561.
37.
Smith KV, Goldman N: Socioeconomic differences in health among older adults in Mexico. Soc Sci Med. 2007, 65: 1372-1385. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.05.023.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Aittomaki A, Martikainen P, Laaksonen M, Lahelma E, Rahkonen O: The associations of household wealth and income with self-rated health–-a study on economic advantage in middle-aged Finnish men and women. Soc Sci Med. 2010, 71: 1018-1026. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.05.040.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Metadata
Title
Individual and household-level predictors of health related quality of life among middle-aged people in rural Mid-east China: a cross-sectional study
Authors
Jianfang Zhou
Xiaomei Ru
Norman Hearst
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-660

Other articles of this Issue 1/2014

BMC Public Health 1/2014 Go to the issue

Research article

Individual social capital and survival: a population study with 5-year follow-up

Research article

Description and prediction of the development of metabolic syndrome in Dongying City: a longitudinal analysis using the Markov model

Research article

Impact of intervention on healthcare waste management practices in a tertiary care governmental hospital of Nepal

Research article

Fair relationships and policies to support family day care educators’ mental health: a qualitative study

Research article

Environmental and cultural correlates of physical activity parenting practices among Latino parents with preschool-aged children: Niños Activos

Study protocol

A cohort study to define the age-specific incidence and risk factors of Shigella diarrhoeal infections in Vietnamese children: a study protocol