ArticleFrontiers in public health2025
Prevalence and factors influencing disability and cognitive impairment among empty nesters and non-empty nesters in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prevalence of depression among rural older adults in Asia: a meta-analysis of observational studies.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- "Sunlight" illuminates "empty nests": the influence of social participation on the multi-dimensional health of empty-nest elderly in China.Preventive medicine reports · 2026Article
- The impact of social isolation on physical and mental health among empty-nest older adults: an integrative review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- The impact of grandchild caregiving on depression among grandparents: a scoping review.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Empty nest but better off? Association between empty nest status and cognitive function among older adults with chronic diseases in rural China.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Disability and cognitive impairment affect the physical and mental health of older adult individuals and also impose a heavy burden on families and society. As a threat to their health, the growing trend of empty nesting among older adult individuals is attracting widespread attention. Objective: To investigate the status of disability and cognitive impairment among empty nesters and non-empty nesters in Guangdong Province and to analyze the differences in their influencing factors to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of disability among empty nesters and non-empty nesters. Methods: Using the stratified random cluster sampling method, we recruited 5,603 individuals older adults 60 years and older from 21 cities in Guangdong Province in southern China, comprising 1,512 empty nesters and 4,091 non-empty nesters. Physical function and cognitive impairment were assessed with the ability to perform basic activities of daily living (BADLs) and scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Binary logistic regression was performed to analyze the risk factors in the two groups. Results: The prevalence of disability and cognitive impairment among empty nesters was significantly higher than that in non-empty nesters (40.15% vs. 35.74, 27.51% vs. 23.52%, respectively). Common influencing factors for the occurrence of disability in empty nesters and non-empty nesters were as follows. Binary logistic regression showed that the average monthly household income of empty nesters was 2000-400 RMB (OR: 1.476, 95% CI 1.019, 2.138) and for non-empty nesters was 2000-400 RMB (OR: 1.353, 95% CI 1.048, 1.747). Many study subjects took more than four types of medications (empty nesters: OR: 3.166, 95% CI 1.940, 5.169; non-empty nesters: OR: 2.660, 95% CI 1.957, 3.615). Both populations reported family support (empty nesters: OR: 1.487, 95% CI 1.064, 2.077 and non-empty nesters: OR: 1.341, 95% CI 1.106, 1.626), depression (empty nesters: OR: 1.710, 95% CI 1.104, 2.471 and non-empty nesters: OR: 1.990, 95% CI 1.524, 2.599), and anxiety (yes: OR: 1.652, 95% CI 1.104, 2.471), which was an influential factor specific to the occurrence of disability in empty nesters ( Conclusion: The study indicated that empty nesters had a higher prevalence of disability and cognitive impairment than non-empty nesters. The influencing factors were different between empty nesters and non-empty nesters. Low and middle incomes, multiple medication use, family support, and depression were the common influencing factors for the occurrence of disability among empty nesters and non-empty nesters, while anxiety was the unique influencing factor for disability among empty nesters. Literacy level, place of residence, and depression were the common influencing factors for cognitive impairment among empty nesters and non-empty nesters. Multiple medications were an influencing factor specific to cognitive impairment among empty nesters. Coronary heart disease was an influencing factor specific to cognitive impairment in non-empty nesters. Therefore, when intervening in older adults individuals with disability and cognitive impairment, different measures should be taken according to whether they are empty nesters or not.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.