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. 2023 Dec 16:37:102563.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102563. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Housing conditions, cooking fuels, and health-related quality of life among rural middle-aged and elderly in northwest China: A ten-year balanced panel study

Kexin Chen  1   2 , Wenlong Wang  1   2 , Jiangwei Qiu  1   2 , Wenqin Guo  1   2 , Jiancai Du  1   2 , Baokai Gao  1   2 , Zhaoyan Hu  1   2 , Hui Qiao  1   2
Affiliations

Housing conditions, cooking fuels, and health-related quality of life among rural middle-aged and elderly in northwest China: A ten-year balanced panel study

Kexin Chen et al. Prev Med Rep. .

Abstract

To investigate the impacts of improving housing conditions and transitioning to clean cooking fuels on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among middle-aged and elderly populations in rural China.

Methods: Using a 10-year longitudinal follow-up study, we examined changes in housing conditions, cooking fuel use, and HRQOL among 690 Chinese adults aged 45 above in rural areas. HRQOL was assessed using the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions 3 Levels (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire. Generalized estimating equations were utilized to analyze correlations between variables.

Results: Using four-period balanced panel data of 10 years, there were significant differences in the self-reporting of mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain / discomfort and anxiety / depression in rural middle-aged and elderly people (p < 0.05). In terms of the EQ-5D index score and EQ-VAS score, showed a decreasing trend (p < 0.05). The housing area, housing material type, utilization of sanitary toilets, separation of housing and kitchen were separated and non-solid fuels used as cooking fuel were significantly associated with high HRQOL (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study found that good housing conditions and the use of non-solid cooking fuel had positive effects on health-related quality of life of middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas of northwest China.

Keywords: Cooking fuel; Health-related quality of Life; Housing conditions; Longitudinal study; Rural middle-aged and elderly populations.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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