Exploring community-based long-term care needs and predicting factors among older adults in China: A cross-sectional study 10.55131/jphd/2026/240218

Abstract

The rapid growth of the aging population makes providing adequate long-term care (LTC) services for the elderly a critical social issue in China. However, older adults’ LTC needs may differ as LTC services develop and traditional cultural norms change. Therefore, this study examines LTC service needs and predicting factors among community-dwelling older adults in Huanggang, China. A cross-sectional design was performed on 518 older people in Huanggang, China, selected by the cluster sampling method. Data collection employed a self-administered questionnaire consisting of six components: predisposing factors, enabling factors, activities of daily living, Self-Rating Anxiety Scales, the Geriatric Depression Scales, and the Long-Term Care Needs Scale. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with LTC needs. Of the participants, 52.12% were female and 47.88% were male; the mean age was 70 years.  The highest mean LTC need was in the dependency domain (mean = 3.50, SD = 0.80), and the lowest was in the living needs domain (mean = 2.16, SD = 1.12). Multiple linear regression showed that anxiety (β = 0.676, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = 0.309, p < 0.001) were positively associated with greater LTC needs, whereas lower activities of daily living (ADL) scores (β = −0.087, p = 0.001) predicted higher LTC needs. These findings indicate that LTC needs among older adults are strongly influenced by functional status and psychological distress, underscoring the importance of addressing these factors to enhance the quality and availability of LTC services.