Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China

ObjectiveTo understand the influence of activities of daily living (ADL) on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China, and the role of attitudes toward aging and age on this relationship, to provide a reference for developing health education and intervention strategies for older adults, a...

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Main Authors: Jing GUO, Yao YANG, Pei WANG, Yanan WANG, He LIU, Zirui WANG, Libo ZHOU, Yuan YAO
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Public Health 2025-02-01
Series:Zhongguo gonggong weisheng
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Online Access:https://www.zgggws.com/article/doi/10.11847/zgggws1145381
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author Jing GUO
Yao YANG
Pei WANG
Yanan WANG
He LIU
Zirui WANG
Libo ZHOU
Yuan YAO
author_facet Jing GUO
Yao YANG
Pei WANG
Yanan WANG
He LIU
Zirui WANG
Libo ZHOU
Yuan YAO
author_sort Jing GUO
collection DOAJ
description ObjectiveTo understand the influence of activities of daily living (ADL) on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China, and the role of attitudes toward aging and age on this relationship, to provide a reference for developing health education and intervention strategies for older adults, and to effectively address the challenges of population aging. MethodsStudy data on 10 883 residents aged 60–98 years were collected from a wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) conducted in 2020 in 28 provincial-level administrative divisions across China in 2020. A moderated mediation model was used to analyze the relationships among ADL, attitudes toward aging , age, and feelings of uselessness. Statistical analysis and moderated mediation effect tests were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and its PROCESS 4.1 plug-in (Model 5). ResultsFor all the participants with a mean age of 71.5±6.6 years, the number (percentage) of individuals who reported feeling useless often, sometimes, and never were 1 729 (15.89%), 4 582 (42.10%), and 4 572 (42.0%), and the mean scores for feelings of uselessness, ADL, and attitudes toward aging were 0.739±0.715, 0.238±1.075, and 14.311±3.638, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the mean score of feelings of uselessness was positively correlated with the mean scores of ADL (r=0.140), attitudes toward aging (r=0.148), and mean age (r=0.163) (all P<0.001). Poorer ADL, more negative attitudes toward aging, and older age were associated with a greater feelings of uselessness. After controlling for gender, education, marital status, number of cohabitants, household registration, and self-rated economic status, the moderated mediation model analysis showed that ADL had a direct effect on feelings of uselessness (β=0.082, P<0.001); attitudes toward aging had an indirect effect on feelings of uselessness (β=0.010, P<0.001); and age played a negative moderating role on the influence of ADL on feelings of uselessness (β= –0.003, P=0.001). ConclusionsPoorer ADL was associated with greater feelings of uselessness among older adults in China. Attitudes toward aging became more negative as ADL declined, indirectly increasing feelings of uselessness. However, the influence of ADL on feelings of uselessness gradually decreased with increasing age.
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spelling doaj-art-4cdff4e3ac1e4d28a76da9b12c1b2dbd2025-08-20T01:48:23ZzhoEditorial Office of Chinese Journal of Public HealthZhongguo gonggong weisheng1001-05802025-02-0141218218610.11847/zgggws11453811145381Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in ChinaJing GUO0Yao YANG1Pei WANG2Yanan WANG3He LIU4Zirui WANG5Libo ZHOU6Yuan YAO7Center for Population and Development Studies, Health and Reform Policy Sub-Laboratory, Bigdata and Responsible Artificial Intelligence for National Governance, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaSchool of Population and Health, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaSchool of Population and Health, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaSchool of Population and Health, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaSchool of Population and Health, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaSchool of Population and Health, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaDepartment of Science and Technology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, ChinaSchool of Sociology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaObjectiveTo understand the influence of activities of daily living (ADL) on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China, and the role of attitudes toward aging and age on this relationship, to provide a reference for developing health education and intervention strategies for older adults, and to effectively address the challenges of population aging. MethodsStudy data on 10 883 residents aged 60–98 years were collected from a wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) conducted in 2020 in 28 provincial-level administrative divisions across China in 2020. A moderated mediation model was used to analyze the relationships among ADL, attitudes toward aging , age, and feelings of uselessness. Statistical analysis and moderated mediation effect tests were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and its PROCESS 4.1 plug-in (Model 5). ResultsFor all the participants with a mean age of 71.5±6.6 years, the number (percentage) of individuals who reported feeling useless often, sometimes, and never were 1 729 (15.89%), 4 582 (42.10%), and 4 572 (42.0%), and the mean scores for feelings of uselessness, ADL, and attitudes toward aging were 0.739±0.715, 0.238±1.075, and 14.311±3.638, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the mean score of feelings of uselessness was positively correlated with the mean scores of ADL (r=0.140), attitudes toward aging (r=0.148), and mean age (r=0.163) (all P<0.001). Poorer ADL, more negative attitudes toward aging, and older age were associated with a greater feelings of uselessness. After controlling for gender, education, marital status, number of cohabitants, household registration, and self-rated economic status, the moderated mediation model analysis showed that ADL had a direct effect on feelings of uselessness (β=0.082, P<0.001); attitudes toward aging had an indirect effect on feelings of uselessness (β=0.010, P<0.001); and age played a negative moderating role on the influence of ADL on feelings of uselessness (β= –0.003, P=0.001). ConclusionsPoorer ADL was associated with greater feelings of uselessness among older adults in China. Attitudes toward aging became more negative as ADL declined, indirectly increasing feelings of uselessness. However, the influence of ADL on feelings of uselessness gradually decreased with increasing age.https://www.zgggws.com/article/doi/10.11847/zgggws1145381activities of daily livingfeeling of uselessnessinfluenceolder adultschina
spellingShingle Jing GUO
Yao YANG
Pei WANG
Yanan WANG
He LIU
Zirui WANG
Libo ZHOU
Yuan YAO
Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China
Zhongguo gonggong weisheng
activities of daily living
feeling of uselessness
influence
older adults
china
title Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China
title_full Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China
title_fullStr Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China
title_full_unstemmed Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China
title_short Influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in China
title_sort influence of activities of daily living on feelings of uselessness among older adults in china
topic activities of daily living
feeling of uselessness
influence
older adults
china
url https://www.zgggws.com/article/doi/10.11847/zgggws1145381
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