Healthy ageing and psychological resilience among the empty-nest older adults: a cross-sectional survey in China

BACKGROUND: As the global population ages, promoting healthy ageing among empty-nest older adults has become increasingly important in addressing their physical, psychological, and social challenges and supporting a high quality of life. Psychological resilience could be an important potential promoter in achieving healthy ageing. However, the unique characteristics of healthy ageing and psychological resilience among empty-nest older adults in Chinese communities remain underexplored. This study explored the current status of healthy ageing and psychological resilience among community-dwelling empty-nest older adults and analyzed their relationship. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed between January and June 2024. Empty-nest older adults were recruited from urban, suburban, and rural communities in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, using a stratified cluster sampling method. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted using the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Healthy Ageing Instrument, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 26.0) and AMOS (version 24.0), employing t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, hierarchical linear regression, and structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The scores for healthy ageing and psychological resilience of the participants were 134.34 ± 20.06 (out of 175 points) and 72.52 ± 13.97 (out of 100 points), respectively. Living arrangement, major income source, and frequency of social activities were significantly associated with the healthy ageing scores of empty-nest older adults. The inclusion of psychological resilience as a factor further enhanced the model's explanatory power by 29.8% (F = 25.454, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Empty-nest older adults in the Chinese community show a desirable level of healthy ageing and psychological resilience, yet there is still room for improvement. Those who live with their spouses, have retirement pensions, engage regularly in social activities, and demonstrate strong psychological resilience tend to achieve a higher level of healthy ageing. Policies and strategies could focus on creating a more supportive environment, reducing health inequities among empty-nest older adults, and fostering psychological resilience to effectively promote healthy ageing.