Table 1. Description of the study sample by living arrangements.
| Unmarried, alone (n = 390) | Married, alone (n = 82) | With spouse(n = 804) | Unmarried, with children (n = 110) | Married, withchildren (n = 35) | With spouse and children (n = 121) | P-value | |
| Gender | <0.001 | ||||||
| Male | 128(17.8) | 30(36.6) | 438(54.5) | 27(24.5) | 20(57.1) | 76(62.8) | |
| Female | 262(67.2) | 52(63.4) | 366(45.5) | 83(75.5) | 15(42.9) | 45(37.2) | |
| Age | <0.001 | ||||||
| <80 | 218(55.9) | 41(50.0) | 626(77.9) | 67(60.9) | 24(68.6) | 103(85.1) | |
| ≥80 | 172(44.1) | 41(50.0) | 178(22.1) | 43(39.1) | 11(31.4) | 18(14.9) | |
| Mean | 76.32±7.62 | 74.95±8.04 | 70.32±7.33 | 75.81±8.13 | 68.15±7.89 | 67.76±6.78 | <0.001 |
| Education | <0.001 | ||||||
| Illiterate | 328(85.9) | 63(77.8) | 585(73.2) | 103(93.6) | 34(97.1) | 72(61.5) | |
| Primary school or more | 54(14.1) | 18(22.2) | 214(26.8) | 7(6.4) | 1(2.9) | 45(38.5) | |
| Personal income (yuan per year) | <0.001 | ||||||
| <5000 | 362(93.5) | 68(84.0) | 527(65.8) | 83(75.5) | 29(82.9) | 50(42.0) | |
| ≥5000 and <10000 | 21(5.4) | 11(13.6) | 183(22.8) | 10(9.1) | 2(5.7) | 37(31.1) | |
| ≥10000 | 4(1.0) | 2(2.5) | 91(11.4) | 17(15.5) | 4(11.4) | 32(26.9) | |
| Physical assistance | <0.001 | ||||||
| No difficulty | 172(44.3) | 22(26.8) | 384(47.8) | 59(54.1) | 27(77.1) | 89(74.2) | |
| Some difficulty | 167(43.0) | 55(67.1) | 342(42.6) | 38(34.9) | 7(20.0) | 23(19.2) | |
| Severe difficulty | 49(12.6) | 5(6.1) | 77(9.6) | 12(11.0) | 1(2.9) | 8(6.7) | |
| Emotional support | <0.001 | ||||||
| No difficulty | 165(42.7) | 26(31.7) | 412(51.8) | 58(53.2) | 27(77.1) | 93(77.5) | |
| Some difficulty | 159(41.2) | 51(62.2) | 321(40.3) | 36(33.0) | 6(17.1) | 21(17.5) | |
| Severe difficulty | 62(16.1) | 5(6.1) | 63(7.9) | 15(13.8) | 2(5.7) | 6(5.0) | |
| Number of diseases | 0.002 | ||||||
| 0 | 202(52.3) | 52(63.4) | 449(56.3) | 55(50.0) | 29(82.9) | 81(68.6) | |
| 1 | 134(34.7) | 22(26.8) | 267(33.5) | 36(32.7) | 4(11.4) | 25(21.2) | |
| ≥2 | 50(13.0) | 8(9.8) | 82(10.3) | 19(17.3) | 2(5.7) | 12(10.2) | |
| Self-rated health | 0.003 | ||||||
| Excellent | 47(12.1) | 8(9.8) | 90(11.3) | 14(12.7) | 2(5.7) | 22(18.5) | |
| Good | 136(35.0) | 34(41.5) | 283(35.4) | 22(20.0) | 18(51.4) | 52(43.7) | |
| Fair | 166(42.7) | 34(41.5) | 333(41.6) | 57(51.8) | 15(42.9) | 34(28.6) | |
| Poor | 40(10.3) | 6(7.3) | 94(11.8) | 17(15.5) | 0(0.0) | 11(9.2) |