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Aim: The frailty index is used to measure the health status of older individuals. However, its association with self‐neglect, social support and sociodemographic characteristics of older adults is underexplored. The purpose of the present study was to explore such associations among the rural older adults in Anhui Province of China, and to provide scientific evidence for policy‐makers to improve the health and well‐being of older adults in rural China. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was undertaken among 3048 older adults in rural China. The frailty index was measured by an accumulation of deficits of 40 items. Ordinal logistic regression models were carried out to explore the associations of self‐neglect, social support and sociodemographic characteristics with the frailty index. Results: The frailty rate was 15.8% among the participants. Older adults who showed self‐neglect, were female, had a lower education level, had a lower monthly income and did not drink alcohol were more prone to having frailty in the 60–76 years age group, whereas older adults who showed self‐neglect, had poor social support, were female, were not smokers and did not drink alcohol were more likely to have frailty in the ≥77 years age group (P < 0.05). The interaction effect on frailty between self‐neglect and social support was found in the 60–76 years age group. Conclusions: Age differences were shown in the associations between self‐neglect, social support, sociodemographic characteristics and frailty index, which suggests different measures should be used accordingly for frailty prevention and management. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 987–996 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Infectious diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in China. The capacity of hospitals to deal with the challenge from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases due to climate change is of great importance to population health. This study aimed to explore the capacity of hospitals in China to deal with such challenges. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was utilized to gauge information regarding capacity of hospitals to deal with infectious diseases in the context of climate change among 611 clinical professionals whose roles pertained to infectious disease diagnosis, treatment and management in Anhui Province of China. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed on the data. Results More than 90% of participants believed climate change would have an adverse influence on population health and infectious disease control in China. Most indicated that their hospitals were well prepared for emerging infectious diseases at present, and they considered that logistical support in hospitals (e.g. administrative and maintenance services) should be strengthened for future capacity building. The majority of participants suggested that effective prevention and control measures, more interdisciplinary collaborations, more funding in rural areas for health care, and improved access to facilities enabling online reporting of infectious diseases, were extremely important strategies in building capacity to curb the population health impact of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases due to climate change in China. Conclusions Clinical professionals recognized that climate change will likely increase the transmission of infectious diseases. Although rural health care and hospitals’ logistical support need to be improved, most professionals believed their hospitals to be capable of dealing with emerging diseases. They thought that interdisciplinary and cross-regional collaborations, together with necessary resource support (e.g. improved facilities for rural health care) would be important control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives There is a paucity of epidemiological data on chronic pain and obesity among older adults. This study attempted to present the characterization of chronic pain and its association with obesity among the Chinese elderly. Methods A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among 6524 elderly individuals aged ≥60 years in China. Chronic pain was identified by self-reports based on the definition from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Body Mass Index (BMI) was measured to assess obesity. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between obesity and chronic pain. Results The prevalence of chronic pain was 49.8%. The legs/feet (25.5%), back (23.2%), and neck/shoulder (14.6%) were the most salient locations for chronic pain. Compared with normal weight, subjects with overweight (OR = 1.234, 95%CI = 1.100–1.384) and obesity (OR = 1.715, 95%CI = 1.418–2.073) were considerably more likely to have chronic pain after adjusting for covariates (p < .05). Age was not significantly associated with chronic pain (p > .05). Further analyses revealed that the associations between chronic pain and obesity were restricted to the legs/feet and back. Conclusion Chronic pain is common among older adults in China. Understanding the role of obesity in chronic pain is important for preventing and treating chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]