Impact of social health on prevalence of chronic diseases among community elderly

  Objective  To examine the prevalence of and the impact of social health on chronic diseases among community elderly and to provide evidences for the management of chronic diseases in the elderly.

  Methods  We recruited 2 688 residents aged 60 years and above in rural villages and urban communities in Anji city of Zhejiang province and Taixing city of Jiangsu province; then we collected relevant information of the elderly by face-to-face interviews using the Social Health Subscale of China Elderly Health Assessment to analyze the influencing factors of chronic diseases in the elderly.

  Results  The prevalence of chronic diseases among the elderly differed significantly by residential region (the urban vs. the rural) (χ² = 84.18, P < 0.001), age (χ² = 60.00, P < 0.001), education level (χ² = 75.92, P < 0.001), occupation before the age of 60 years (χ² = 70.70, P < 0.001), pension pattern (χ² = 13.31, P = 0.038), and monthly family income per capita (χ² = 54.84, P < 0.001) and the prevalence was reversely correlated with social adaptability of the elderly.

  Conclusion  Improving social adaptability and promoting social health of the elderly could play an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases among the elderly.