Analysis of potential characteristics and influencing factors of anxiety levels in the elderly

ZHANG Yafeng; YANG Shanshan; LI Jia; WANG Chengzeng; FU Hang

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2096-9058.2025.04.003

Abstract：Objective To explore the latent classification characteristics of anxiety levels among elderly and identify associated influencing factors.Methods Based on data from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevi-ty Survey(CLHLS),the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7)scale was used to assess anxiety levels in the elderly,Latent Profile Analysis(LPA)was employed to identify potential categories of anxiety levels,and multivariate logistic re-gression models were used to examine the factors associated with different anxiety level categories.Results Anxiety lev-els among elderly were classified into three categories:Q1(low scores on all items,72.95%),Q2(moderate scores on all items,17.53%),and Q3(high scores on all items,9.52%).Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that gen-der,education level,economic status,self-rated health status,depression,and activities of daily living(ADL)were asso-ciated with anxiety levels in the elderly(all P<0.05).Male,higher education,and better economic status were associated with lower anxiety levels(all P<0.05);whereas poorer self-rated health status,higher levels of depression,and ADL limi-tations were linked to higher anxiety levels(all P<0.05).Additionally,the risk of anxiety was slightly higher in the young-er elderly compared to the oldest-old,and urban-rural disparities appeared to amplify anxiety severity in the elderly(all P<0.05).Conclusions Low anxiety levels are predominant among the elderly.The elderly who are female,have lower ed-ucation and economic status,limited ADL,poorer self-rated health,and depressive tendencies are more prone to anxiety and should be prioritized in screening and intervention efforts.