Table 1 Comparison of the characteristics and mental disorders among empty nesters and non-empty ones
Characteristics | Empty nest [n(%)] | Non-empty nest [n(%)] | χ2 | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender |  |  | 22.932 | < 0.001 |
 Male | 2546 (51.9) | 1693 (46.7) |  | |
 Female | 2355 (48.1) | 1932 (53.3) | ||
Age |  |  | 95.133 | < 0.001 |
 Low (60–69 years) | 2440 (49.8) | 2130 (58.8) |  | |
 Middle (70-79 years) | 1910 (39.0) | 1046 (28.9) | ||
 High(80 years or above) | 551 (11.2) | 449 (12.4) | ||
Education status | Â | Â | 2.057 | 0.358 |
 Elementary education and below | 3073 (62.7) | 2279 (62.9) |  | |
 Secondary education | 1599 (32.6) | 1154 (31.8) | ||
 Higher education and above | 229 (4.7) | 192 (5.3) | ||
Marital status |  |  | 39.495 | < 0.001 |
 Single(never married, divorced, widowed) | 1560 (31.8) | 927 (25.6) |  | |
 Married | 3341 (68.2) | 2698 (74.4) | ||
Employment status |  |  | 20.175 | < 0.001 |
 Working | 516 (10.5) | 278 (7.7) |  | |
 Not working | 4385 (89.5) | 3347 (92.3) | ||
Monthly income |  |  | 22.174 | < 0.001 |
 No income | 1676 (34.2) | 1384 (38.2) |  | |
 Low (< 1000 RMB) | 1371 (28.0) | 898 (24.8) | ||
 Middle (1000–3000 RMB) | 1287 (26.3) | 884 (24.4) | ||
 High (> 3000 RMB) | 567 (11.6) | 459 (12.7) | ||
Residence | Â | Â | 0.001 | 0.974 |
 Rural | 3187 (65.0) | 2356 (65.0) |  | |
 Urban | 1714 (35.0) | 1269 (35.0) | ||
Chronic disease |  |  | 51.486 | < 0.001 |
 Yes | 1440 (29.4) | 1332 (36.7) |  | |
 No | 3461 (70.6) | 2293 (63.3) | ||
Attention the daily healthy diet | Â | Â | 10.919 | 0.012 |
 No | 152 (3.1) | 75 (2.1) |  | |
 Less | 1326 (27.1) | 954 (26.3) | ||
 more | 2547 (52.0) | 1964 (54.2) | ||
 Most | 876 (17.9) | 632 (17.4) | ||
Relationship with their children |  |  | 262.368 | < 0.001 |
 Bad | 858 (17.5) | 209 (5.8) |  | |
 Good | 4043 (82.5) | 3416 (94.2) | ||
Self-care ability | Â | Â | 0.488 | 0.485 |
 Hardly or part | 921 (18.8) | 703 (19.4) |  | |
 Completely | 3980 (81.2) | 2922 (80.6) | ||
Living arrangement |  |  | – | – |
 Living with children | – | 3625 (100) |  | |
 Living with spouse | 3035 (61.9) | – | ||
 Living alone | 1651 (33.7) | – | ||
 Living in an institution | 215 (4.4) | – | ||
Mental disorders |  |  | 12.259 | < 0.001 |
 Yes | 1317 (26.9) | 853 (23.5) |  | |
 No | 3584 (73.1) | 2772 (76.5) | ||