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Abstract
Introduction
Homesickness is a result of migration, and is related to adjustment difficulties and health problems, as well as clinical disorders. The aim of this study was to measure and explore the homesickness of Chinese elderly.
Methods
A total of 355 non-local Chinese elderly in Shenzhen were recruited to measure demographic information and homesickness. and tested for reliability and validity. Patterns and influences of homesickness among Chinese elderly were explored through latent profile analysis and One-way ANOVA on the basis of EHQ.
Results
A three-factor structure was verified in the 19-item elderly homesickness questionnaire (EHQ), namely “positive contact”, “refusal to separate” and “homesickness behavior”. The EHQ reports high validity and reliability. Chinese elderly had a high degree of homesickness, and homesickness among Chinese elderly varied significantly across variables such as age, occupation, and education level. Four homesickness patterns were found in Chinese elderly, named low homesick group, moderate homesick group, middle-high homesick group, and high homesick group. Coming from rural/urban areas and living with grandchildren are factors that affect classification.
Conclusion
The present study reveals the high validity and reliability of the EHQ among Chinese elderly. The Chinese elderly reported high levels of homesickness, which varied significantly across levels of demographic factors. Four patterns of homesickness were found among the Chinese elderly, coming from rural/urban areas and living with grandchildren are the factors that affect classification. There may be a masking of the male contribution to the main effect due to the larger female sample.
Data Sharing Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate
Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Medical Department of Shenzhen University (No. PN-2021-019). All participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time before the start of the survey. They also followed the principle of voluntariness to participate in the survey and were informed in detail that the data collected in this study was only for scientific research and would not disclose personal privacy information. All participants provided informed consent before participation. The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Consent for Publication
The authors confirm that the details of any images, videos, recordings, etc. can be published, and that the person(s) providing consent have been shown the article contents to be published.
Author Note
This work was supported by the National Social Science Foundation under Grant 21BSH018; and the Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases of the Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University. The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all members from Can Jiao research groups at Shenzhen University, China, for their effort in data collection. Thanks to all the community organizations that assisted us with our interviews, and the elderly who participated in the interviews.
Author Contributions
All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Disclosure
Mr Zeming Deng and Prof. Dr. Can Jiao report grants from National Social Science Foundation, non-financial support from Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases of the Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, during the conduct of the study. The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.