Latent profiles of active ageing and their association with oral health-related quality of life among rural older adults in China.

Background: Active ageing is a key strategy for addressing population ageing; however, the heterogeneous characteristics of active ageing among the rural older adults population have not yet been fully elucidated, and the association between active ageing and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has not been systematically explored. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 598 rural older adults from April to October 2024. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify active ageing patterns; multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse predictors of category membership; and negative binomial regression was used to analyse the association between latent active ageing categories and OHRQoL. Results: Four distinct profiles of active ageing were identified: low-level (12.38%), medium-level with low social integration (17.56%), medium-level with low financial security (35.79%), and high-level (34.28%). Profile affiliation was significantly associated with nine factors, including age, educational attainment, and income (all Conclusion: The active ageing of rural adults in China exhibits heterogeneous characteristics and shows a significant gradient in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Differentiated intervention measures should be developed for different populations, and rural oral health services should be strengthened to improve their quality of life.