Quality of Life and Its Influencing Factors Among Centenarians in Nanjing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

As centenarians are the most vulnerable social group among older adults, their quality of life (QoL) is of great significance for the realization of healthy aging and a harmonious society. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to propose a multidimensional analysis of centenarians’ QoL to examine the factors associated with QoL. In the study, a factor analysis method, including exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, was used to uncover the latent structure of QoL and to monitor the dimension, reliability, and validity of the measurement scale. Structural equation model was performed to test the proposed hypotheses. Based on Lawton’s “the good life” theoretical framework, we constructed our QoL model with four dimensions: physical health, mental health, family and social relationships, and socioeconomic status. After the factor analysis, three main hypotheses were presented. The results of the final QoL model revealed that two hypotheses of the relationships between QoL and “physical health” and “socioeconomic status” were supported. This paper suggests that interventions related to improving functional health and living standard could enhance the QoL for centenarians.