Multidimensional Healthy Ageing Domains and Its Relationship With Sociodemographic Variables of Older Adults in Thailand
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Abstract
Understanding the relationship between healthy ageing (HA) and sociodemographic variables among older adults is imperative for developing effective strategies and interventions to enhance the quality of life in ageing populations. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study analysed a secondary data of older adults aged 60 and over (n=34,051) from the 2017 Thai older adults survey. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identified latent HA structures, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) validated the model. Regression factor scores were obtained. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations between sociodemographic variables and HA (Factor scores). Results: EFA identified eight latent HA structures: Activity of Daily Living, Functional Ability, Health Deterioration, Cognitive Function, Healthy Behaviour, Community Participation, Unhealthy Behaviour, and Subjective Health and Well-being, explaining 63.24% of the total variance (KMO = .893). CFA further validated the HA model (CFI = .892, TLI = .883, RMSEA = .055). Older age was consistently linked to poorer HA across all domains (p<0.001) but associated with lower unhealthy behaviour (p<0.001). Demographically, being male, married, and living with a spouse was associated with better HA (p<0.001). Socioeconomically, higher education and greater income satisfaction were positively associated with HA (p<0.001), though higher education negatively related to community participation (β=-.0124, p<0.001). Living alone was linked to better physical health but poorer health behaviour and lower subjective well-being (p<0.001). Conclusion: These findings underscore the significant role of addressing social determinants of health, particularly education and income, in promoting healthy ageing.
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