Table 1.
Summary of Variables
| Variable | Description | Coding | Percentage/Mean (N=5,419) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent variable (Health outcomes in 2014) | |||
| Self-reported health (SRH) | It originally contains 5 ordered scales: very good, good, fair, poor, and very poor. | 0= very good and good | 38.87% |
| 1= very poor, poor and fair | 61.13% | ||
| Cognitive impairment | It is measured with the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); the total score range is 0–30. | 0= MMSE score less than 18 | 79.27% |
| 1= MMSE more than 18 | 20.73% | ||
| Difficulty with ADLs | It includes 6 indexes: bathing, dressing, using the toilet, indoor walking, eating, and getting up and down. | 0= no difficulty with any of the six ADLs | 73.44% |
| 1= difficulty with any of the six ADLs | 26.56% | ||
| Difficulty with IADLs | It includes 8 indexes: visiting neighbours, going shopping, making food, washing clothes, walking one kilometre, carrying 5kg weight, crouching and standing three times, and taking public transportation. | 0= no difficulty with any of the eight IADLs | 34.71% |
| 1= difficulty with any of the eight IADLs | 65.29% | ||
| Independent variable | |||
| Kinlessness | |||
| Have no spouse | 0=Married and live with spouse | 38.44% | |
| 1=Never married | 1.14% | ||
| 2=Recent loss of spouse | 6.24% | ||
| 3=Distant loss of spouse | 54.18% | ||
| Have no children | 0=Have living children | 85.13% | |
| 1=Never gave birth | 2.18% | ||
| 2=Recent loss of children | 10.96% | ||
| 3=Distant loss of children | 1.73% | ||
| Have no siblings | 0=Have living siblings | 54.71% | |
| 1=Have no siblings in lifetime | 5.50% | ||
| 2=Recent loss of siblings | 9.19% | ||
| 3=Distant loss of siblings | 30.60% | ||
| Lack of social contacts | |||
| Live alone | Those who became solitary living between 2011 and 2014 | 0= no | 97.45% |
| 1= yes | 2.55% | ||
| Had no children visiting | Those whose children were alive but ceased frequent visiting between 2011 and 2014 | 0= no | 85.17% |
| 1= yes | 14.83% | ||
| Had no siblings visiting | Those whose siblings were alive but ceased frequent visiting between 2011 and 2014 | 0= no | 81.15% |
| 1= yes | 18.85% | ||
| Not participating in social activities | Those who withdrew from social activities between 2011 and 2014 | 0= no | 87.52% |
| 1= yes | 12.48% | ||
| Subjective social isolation | |||
| Felt lonely | Those who reported loneliness between 2011 and 2014 | 0= no | 79.9% |
| 1= yes | 20.1% | ||
| Had no one to talk | Those who were not able to find anyone to talk when in need between 2011 and 2014 | 0= no | 95.79% |
| 1= yes | 4.21% | ||
| Had no one to seek for help | Those who were not able to find anyone to seek for help when in need between 2011 and 2014 | 0= no | 89.5% |
| 1= yes | 10.5% | ||
| Covariates (in 2011) | |||
| Age | Min=65 Max=114 | Mean=82.08 | |
| Sex | 0= female | 53.37% | |
| 1= male | 46.63% | ||
| Self-rated SES | Self-rated socioeconomic status | 1= lower | 16.08% |
| 2= fair | 65.12% | ||
| 3= higher | 18.8% | ||
| Education | Years of schooling | Min=0 Max=20 | Mean=2.64 |
| Residence | Living in the rural area | 0= no | 56.74% |
| 1= yes | 43.26% | ||
| Smoking | Smoke at present | 0= no | 87.61% |
| 1= yes | 12.39% | ||
| Drinking | Drink at present | 0= no | 82.86% |
| 1= yes | 17.14% | ||
| Leisure activities | It includes 3 indexes: gardening, reading, and watching TV. The score range of each item is from 0–4, presenting the frequency of doing the leisure activities: never, sometimes, monthly, weekly, every day. | Min=0 Max=12 | Mean=4.64 |
| Physical exercise | Regular exercise at present | 0= no | 82.89% |
| 1= yes | 17.11% | ||
| Social services | Whether the respondent receive any social services in their community: personal care, home visit, psychological consulting, daily shopping, social and recreation, legal aid, healthcare education. | 0= no | 46.9% |
| 1= yes | 53.1% | ||