Author(s)

Wang Juntao ¹, Shi Jing ¹, Dai Mengjia ¹, Xie Yajie ¹, Li Chunyan ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ School of Nursing, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China

Corresponding Author

Li Chunyan

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to understand the current status and influencing factors of subjective well-being among the lonely elderly in nursing institutions in Changsha. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using cluster sampling to select 173 elderly people living alone from 5 nursing institutions providing centralized support for households under the "Five Guarantees" system in Changsha. The Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH) was used for the survey. The subjective well-being score of the lonely elderly in nursing institutions in Changsha was at a medium level (28.64 ± 12.70 points). Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in subjective well-being among the lonely elderly with different ages, educational levels, marital statuses, children's situations, economic conditions, health conditions, and institutional elderly care willingness (P < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression further confirmed that children's situation (β = -0.157) and health condition (β = -0.195 to -0.388) were the core negative predictors of subjective well-being; institutional elderly care willingness significantly improved the level of subjective well-being (β = 0.227). The subjective well-being of the lonely elderly in nursing institutions in Changsha is influenced by multiple factors such as age, marital status, children's situation, economy, health, and institutional elderly care willingness. Comprehensive measures such as building a multi-dimensional intervention system based on economic security, centered on health support, and linked by social integration are needed to enhance their happiness in old age.

KEYWORDS

The lonely elderly, Subjective well-being, Influencing factors, Cross-sectional survey

CITE THIS PAPER

Wang Juntao, Shi Jing, Dai Mengjia, Xie Yajie, Li Chunyan. A Current Investigation on the Subjective Well-being of the Lonely Elderly in Nursing Institutions in Changsha. Journal of Sociology and Ethnology (2026). Vol. 8, No.1, 47-56. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/jsoce.2026.080106.

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