Occurrence of and factors influencing elderly homebound in Chinese urban community: A cross-sectional study

Studies on the occurrence of homebound and the factors influencing it are available. However, the study of community homebound in China is still in its preliminary stage. No previous studies about this issue are available. This study aims to assess the occurrence of and factors influencing homebound elderly in Chinese communities and to provide a basis for effective intervention and prevention of homebound elderly people. One sample community from three provinces was randomly selected. Investigations were performed on the selected communities and 2180 elderly people were chosen as the research subjects. Unified survey scales were used. Home visit and face-to-face interviews were performed to ensure that no single qualified survey respondent was missed. The rate of morbidity in homebound elderly Chinese community was found to be 15.49% and it gradually increased with age, and also with a lower education or poorer Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Single factor analysis showed that general situation, living habits, physical condition, mental condition, society, social support, and other factors affected the occurrence of community homebound elderly. Women were more likely to be homebound than men (P < .05). Having a spouse or high income reduced the rate of morbidity in the homebound elderly (P < .05). Multifactor regression analysis revealed that poor ADL, depression, hearing impairment, being old, no exercise, and low social support are the main influencing factors. Appropriate measures should be taken based on the specific influencing factor to prevent the occurrence of homebound.