Study On Non-Communicable Diseases And Its Influence On Activities Of Daily Living Of The Elderly Rural China

Background:World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out that in almost every country, the growth of the population proportion of60+years old faster than any other age groups. China have the largest scale elderly population in the world, and is one of the fastest aging process in the world, challenges and threats of the population aging are more serious than other countries. Gradually declining physiological function in the elderly, leading to its susceptibility to many diseases, combined with long-term exposure to environmental health risk factors, making the elderly vulnerable groups of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), NCDs may, to a certain extent, damage activities of daily living of the elderly.Objective:To explore the influence of the chronic diseases of the rural elderly to activities of daily living through studies on the NCDs’prevalence and the activities of daily living of the rural elderly China.Methods:Analyze the influence of the NCDs of the rural elderly to activities of daily living using the national baseline survey data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Descript social demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, NCDs and activities of daily living and its distribution of respondents statistically. Analyze the risk factors of the NCDs and activities of daily living of the rural elderly, and the influence of the NCDs of the rural elderly to activities of daily living using chi-square test and logistic regression model.Results:Totally5791of the rural elderly people over the age of60in this nationally survey, distributed in28provinces,150units at the county level and450village-level units.73.4%of the rural elderly with at least a kind of NCDs, the prevalence of female was75.8%, higher than male (70.9%);30.0%of them suffering from a chronic disease,21.2%with two kinds of chronic diseases,12.0%suffer from three kinds of chronic diseases,10.2%with four or more kinds of chronic diseases. The prevalence rate of NCDs in rural elderly from high to low is rheumatism arthritis, hypertension, stomach disease or digestive system disease, chronic lung diseases, heart disease, dyslipidemia, kidney disease, asthma, diabetes or raised blood sugar, liver disease, stroke, memories related diseases, emotional and mental problems, cancer and other malignant tumors. The results of multivariable Logistic regression analysis show that the area, drinking, sleep time, family income level have influence on the prevalence of the NCDs in the rural elderly.24.6%of the rural elderly lose at least one ability of activities of daily living, lose rate of ADL in the rural female elderly was28.4%, higher than20.6%of men;10.3%of the rural elderly loss one ability of ADL,10.3%of the rural elderly lose two,3.0%of the rural elderly lose three,1.9%of the rural elderly lose four,1.4%of the rural elderly lose five,3.4%of the rural elderly lose six and over. The results of multivariable Logistic regression analysis show that the gender, area, age, education level, smoking, drinking, sleep time, family income have influence on the loss rate of ADL in the rural elderly.The results of multivariable Logistic regression analysis show that various NCDs have influence on the loss rate of ADL., According to the degree of influence of various NCDs on the loss rate of ADL, the order from big to small is:memory related disease, stroke, emotional and mental health problems, asthma, arthritis rheumatism, diabetes or raised blood sugar, heart disease, chronic lung disease, hypertension.Conclusions: The NCDs situation of China’s rural elderly is not optimistic, and a variety of NCDs will to some extent damage the activities of daily living of the elderly. From the perspective of economic, external effects, information asymmetry and irrational behavior exist in the process of NCDs prevention and control; therefore, it’s necessary for the government to take action to actively respond to NCDs. The strategic interventions through the health system, as well as the whole society to face the challenges of NCDs, NCDs will be able to controlled, thus promoting the national social and economic development.