The Status and Associated Factors of Successful Aging among Older Adults Residing in Longevity Areas in China

Key words: 
• Successful aging /
• Older adults /
• Evaluation /
• Associated factors

Abstract: ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the status of successful aging (SA) in longevity areas in Chinaand explore multiple factors associated with SA among the young-old and oldest-old.
MethodsA total of 2296 elderly people aged 65 and older were interviewed in the longevity areas sub-sample of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2012. Baseline assessments included a researcher-administered questionnaire, physical examination, and laboratory testing. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with SA.
ResultsThe prevalenceof SA was 38.81% in the CLHLS in 2012. There were significant differences between ages groups, with SA compromising 56.85%among≥65 years group and 20.31% among ≥100 years group (χ2trend=126.73,P<0.01). The prevalence of SA among females was 33.59%, which was significantly lower than that among males (45.58%) (χ2gender=33.65,P<0.05). In the regression analysis, having anemia (OR=0.744, 95% CI: 0.609-0.910), poor lifestyle (OR=0.697, 95% CI: 0.568-0.854), poor sleep quality (OR=0.558, 95% CI: 0.456-0.682), and central obesity (OR=0.684, 95% CI: 0.556-0.841) were the main factors associated with SA. The promoting SA rate decreased as age increased, and the group of 65-79 years had higher odds than the other age group.
ConclusionPreventing central obesity, improving sleep quality and promoting healthy lifestyle may contribute to achieve SA among the elderly.