The Effect of Aging Attitudes on the Quality of Life of Older Adults in China

Abstract

We use data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey to examine the effect of attitudes toward aging on quality of life among older adults in China. We find that older people who experience psychosocial loss may be less satisfied with their life, and have more feelings of depression and loneliness. Compared to older women, older men have lower life satisfaction, and more depression and loneliness, though psychosocial loss has less of an effect on them. Older women who experience psychosocial loss are more likely to be dissatisfied with their life and feel more depressive and lonelier than their male counterparts. Among those who experience psychosocial loss, older people living in rural communities have a higher level of life satisfaction, while living in urban areas may counteract some of the positive impact of psychological growth on reducing the frequency of feeling depressed and lonely. Social policy can play a role in shaping constructive social/community environments to build more positive attitudes toward aging.

Social isolation and loneliness among Chinese older adults: Examining aging attitudes as mediators and moderators

“…Our results verifies the relationship between aging attitudes and loneliness among the Chinese elderly, which has been found in prior research ( Chen et al, 2021 ). On the one hand, older adults with a positive attitude toward aging may experience less loneliness.…”

“…Empirical studies examining the association between attitudes toward aging and loneliness among the Chinese elderly are scarce. According to Chen et al (2021) , both positive and negative attitudes toward aging significantly impact loneliness among the Chinese elderly, but there are considerable disparities between groups. Furthermore, Zeng et al (2022) proposed that attitudes toward aging play an essential role in alleviating the loneliness of the elderly.…”

Subjective social status and health among older adults in China: the longitudinal mediating role of social trust

“…Influenced by such factors as increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility rate, the growth rate and scale of China’s population aged 60 and above exceeds that of most developed countries [ 1 ]. Census data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics shows that from the fifth census in 2000 to the seventh census in 2020, China’s population aged 60 and above increased from 126 to 264 million, accounting for 18.7% of the total, up from 10.2%.…”

Financial toxicity among older cancer survivors in China: a qualitative study of oncology providers’ perceptions and practices

“…As of 2020, China has reported 4.57 million new cancer cases and 3.00 million deaths, respectively accounting for 24% of newly diagnosed cases and 30% of cancer-related deaths worldwide [ 3 ]. Furthermore, China has the largest elderly population and fastest aging speed in the world [ 4 ]. Prior research has shown that cancer morbidity and mortality rates increase with age, and at present, older adults constitute more than 60% of cancer patients [ 5 ].…”