title: Social participation, willingness and quality of life: A population-based study among older adults in rural areas of China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to reflect the current situation of social participation in rural areas of China, willingness to participate in social activities, association between health-related quality of life and social participation, and factors related to social participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2644 rural adults aged 60 years and older were randomly selected and surveyed with a self-rating questionnaire. We used the unified definition of social participation in our study. The Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey was used to measure health-related quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall engagement of social activities was 26%. Those who participated in social activities were more likely to have high scores of health-related quality of life. Older men with a high educational level (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.01-2.29) living alone or with a spouse (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.08-2.12), high objective social support (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.17) and high support utilization (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.21) were inclined to engage in social participation. Older women with high individual income (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.25-2.43), single marital status (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.11-2.10), normal weight (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.10-3.34), overweight (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.24-4.19), living alone or with a spouse (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.20-2.00), objective social support (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.18) and subjective social support (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.10-1.20) were more willing to engage in social participation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Engagement in social activities is relatively low in rural areas, and associations of willingness and health-related quality of life with social participation were found. Policy-makers and government workers should make appropriate types of encouragement policies around social participation for older adults in rural areas. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1593-1602.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Yanjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Yuancheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012424:Rural Population; D058992:Social Participation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014836:Volition
keywords: older adults; quality of life; social activities; social participation; willingness