Latent profile analysis of successful aging among empty nesters in Guiyang, China

Abstract

Objectives

To explore potential profiles of successful aging among empty nesters using latent profile analysis and to analyze their influencing factors.

Methods

A total of 452 community-based empty nesters were included using convenience sampling. Empty nesters were surveyed using the Successful Ageing Scale, Social Capital Scale, Sense of Coherence Scale, and Chinese version of the Health-Promotion Lifestyle Scale-II. Latent profile analysis was used to categorize the successful aging of empty nesters, and factors influencing each category were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.

Results

Four latent profiles of successful aging were identified: ‘low successful aging-low spirituality’, ‘high successful aging-spiritual fluctuation’, ‘high successful aging-balanced development group’, and ‘medium successful aging-medium spirituality’. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that gender, education, residence mode, and social capital were factors influencing the potential profiles of successful aging.

Conclusions

There are four potential categories of successful aging among empty nesters. Gender, education, residence mode, and social capital were associated with successful aging among empty nesters. Targeting interventions may help enhance empty nesters’ successful aging. Future research should combine subjective and objective indicators to assess the health of older people and explore other determinants for formulating interventions to improve successful aging of empty nesters.

Keywords:

• Empty nesters
• latent profile analysis
• related factors
• successful aging

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge all participants who voluntarily completed the investigation.

Authors’ contributions

Study concept and design: HC, ZZW, XHW. Data collection and statistical analysis: HC. Analysis and interpretation of data: HC. Drafting of the manuscript: HC. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: ZZW.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethics

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University (No. (742) of 2022) (The date of ethics approval: 30/12/2022). The first screen of the questionnaire provided details of the study (e.g. background, purpose, procedures, anticipated risks, related inconveniences or benefits, confidentiality, voluntary consent or withdrawal and matters pertaining to participant rights). All participants gave their consent. The anonymity of the participants was maintained by assigning code numbers to each survey questionnaire, and confidentiality of the information was assured. All data were stored on the computer of the research team, and only the research team had access to the data.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China [grant numbers 21ZDA107]; the Strategic Research and Consulting Project of Chinese Academy of Engineering [grant numbers 2022-XBZD-30]; the special teaching and research projects in nursing disciplines at Guizhou Medical University [grant numbers YJ22016].