Health Determinants of Rural Elderly Populations with Different Living Arrangements: a Multilevel Model

Objective To determine the health and its determinants of rural elderly populations in a city in Sichuan province. Methods Data were extracted from a 2015 household survey, containing 7 280 rural participants aged over 60 years. The prevalence of two-week morbidity and chronic conditions were compared among those with different living arrangements. Multilevel models were established to determine the family and individual factors associated with the health status of the respondents. Results Most respondents (57.0%) lived with a spouse, compared with 15.4% who lived alone. Those who lived alone had higher prevalence of two-week morbidity (48.0%) and chronic conditions (70.0%). The multilevel model indicated a familial clustering effect. Living arrangements and household income were associated with the prevalence of two-week morbidity and chronic conditions, after controlling for variations in age, depression, smoking, drinking, and exercise at the individual level. Conclusion The rural elderly people who live alone have poor health status. Household income, age, depression, smoking, drinking and physical exercise are associated with two-week morbidity and chronic conditions.