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Factors Influencing Health Knowledge and Behaviors among the Elderly in Rural China

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Listed:
  • Zhifei He

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Zhaohui Cheng

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Tian Shao

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Chunyan Liu

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Piaopiao Shao

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Ghose Bishwajit

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Da Feng

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Zhanchun Feng

    (School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

Abstract

Objectives: Health knowledge and behaviors are the key elements that ensure high quality of health for the elderly. This study explored and determined the conditions and factors of health knowledge and behaviors that affect the elderly in rural China. Methods: A cross-sectional research approach and random stratified sampling method were used in 12 towns and 48 villages in the Chongqing Municipality, Henan, and Zhejiang Provinces in China from June to September 2013. The collected data included: (1) socio-demographic characteristics of 1593 elderly people; (2) accuracy rate on health knowledge of the elderly, which was analyzed and compared among the three sample areas by using Chi-square test; and (3) mean scores on the health behaviors of the elderly, which were analyzed and compared by using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The multiple-linear regression method was used to analyze the factors affecting the health knowledge and behaviors of the elderly. Results: Significant differences were observed among the nine items in the health knowledge questionnaire ( p = 0.000 < 0.001). The average accuracy rate of the nine items was 57.43%. Significant differences were observed among the eleven items on the health behaviors of the elderly in the sample rural areas ( p = 0.000 < 0.001). Age, economic level, degree of education, distance from home to medical institutions and disposable personal income (DPI) can affect the scores of the health knowledge and behaviors of the elderly ( p = 0.000 < 0.001). Conclusions: Lack of health knowledge and poor health behaviors are common among the elderly in the sample areas of rural China. This deficiency poses a serious threat on the promotion of health conditions and the improvement of the level of health quality among the elderly. Different types of access to sources of health knowledge should be used to increase health knowledge scores of the elderly. Various potential intervening measures should also be adopted to improve their health behaviors of elderly people.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhifei He & Zhaohui Cheng & Tian Shao & Chunyan Liu & Piaopiao Shao & Ghose Bishwajit & Da Feng & Zhanchun Feng, 2016. "Factors Influencing Health Knowledge and Behaviors among the Elderly in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:13:y:2016:i:10:p:975-:d:79705
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Ji Wen & Xiaolin Mai & Wei Li & Xin Liu, 2022. "The Influence of Message Framing on Elderly Tourists’ Purchase Intentions of Health Services: A Case Study of Guangxi Bama," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-15, October.
    3. Gabriella Nagy-Pénzes & Ferenc Vincze & János Sándor & Éva Bíró, 2020. "Does Better Health-Related Knowledge Predict Favorable Health Behavior in Adolescents?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-12, March.
    4. Hang Fu & Da Feng & Shangfeng Tang & Zhifei He & Yuanxi Xiang & Tailai Wu & Ruoxi Wang & Tian Shao & Chunyan Liu & Piaopiao Shao & Zhanchun Feng, 2017. "Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking and Determinants of Success in Quitting Smoking among Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Western China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-10, February.
    5. Izabela Gąska & Katarzyna Sygit & Elżbieta Cipora & Marian Sygit & Anna Pacian & Maryna Surmach & Dorota Kaleta & Adam Rzeźnicki, 2021. "Assessment of the Health Behaviours and Value-Based Health Analysis of People Aged 50+ Who Were Hospitalized Due to Cardiovascular Disease," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-23, April.
    6. Yan Feng & Erpeng Liu & Zhang Yue & Qilin Zhang & Tiankuo Han, 2019. "The Evolutionary Trends of Health Behaviors in Chinese Elderly and the Influencing Factors of These Trends: 2005–2014," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-17, May.

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