Objective  To explore the preference for institution-based care and its predisposing, enabling and demand factors among Chinese empty-nest elderly for providing evidence to the development of policies on aging service for elderly empty-nesters.

  Methods  Relevant data on 2 662 empty-nesters aged ≥ 60 years were extracted from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) conducted in 2014. Based on the theoretical framework of Andersen model, unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predisposing, enabling and demand factors towards the empty-nesters′ preference for institution-based care.

  Results  Of all the elderly empty-nesters, only 1.7% (45) expressed their willingness to stay in elderly care institutions. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that, in terms of predisposing factors, the female and the married elderly empty-nesters were more likely to have lower acceptance of institution-based care; as for enabling factors, the elderly empty-nesters reporting better self-assessed economic situations and living in communities with health care services were less likely to choose institution-based care; concerning demand factors, the elderly empty-nesters with good self-rated health were more likely to have lower preference for institution-based care.

  Conclusion  Among Chinese elderly empty-nesters, the preference for institutional care is at a lower level and gender, marital status, self-rated economic status, self-rated health status and availability of community health care services are main predisposing, enabling and demand factors of the preference.