Association of meaning in life with preventive healthcare use among Chinese adults: are there age and gender differences?

Author: Dexing Zhang1,2, Zijun Xu1, Zuyao Yang1, Weiju Zhou1, Peter Man-Hin Cheung1, Eric Kam-Pui Lee1,2, Baoliang Zhong3, Dong Xu4, Xue Li5,6, Yaojie Xie7, Gao Yang8, Shuiyuan Xiao9, Samuel Yeung-Shan Wong10,11
Affiliation:
1 JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
2 CUHK Thomas Jing Mindfulness Centre for Research and Training, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
3 Wuhan Mental Health Center, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China.
4 School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
5 Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
6 Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
7 School of Nursing, The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
8 Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
9 Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
10 JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. yeungshanwong@cuhk.edu.hk.
11 CUHK Thomas Jing Mindfulness Centre for Research and Training, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. yeungshanwong@cuhk.edu.hk.
Conference/Journal: BMC Public Health
Date published: 2022 Dec 9
Other: Volume ID: 22 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 2308 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14699-0. , Word Count: 235


Background:
Meaning in life could be of clinical importance in stimulating healthy and preventive behaviors. The study aimed to investigate the association between meaning in life and preventive healthcare use among Chinese adults, and to assess their age and gender differences in the association.

Methods:
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 1444 adults aged 18-64 years in February 2020 in China. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the association of meaning in life with preventive health checkups and assess their age and gender differences.

Results:
The mean score of meaning in life was 5.801 (Standard Deviation = 1.349) out of 7. Each unit increase on the level of meaning in life was associated with 12.2% higher likelihood of using preventive health checkups (any type) (adjusted odds ratio 1.122, 95% confidence interval 1.015-1.241) after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, comorbidity and other psychological health factors. Meaning in life was significantly associated with the uses of X-ray (1.125, 1.010-1.253), B-ultrasound (1.176, 1.058-1.306), and blood testing (1.152, 1.042-1.274). The associations between meaning in life and these types of preventive healthcare increased with age, but there were no gender differences in these associations.

Conclusion:
Higher meaning in life was independently related to more preventive health checkups. Strategies to strengthen health education and interventions to improve experience of meaning in life might be an important component to increase preventive healthcare use in China.

Keywords: Age differences; China; Gender differences; Meaning in life; Preventive healthcare use.

PMID: 36494639 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14699-0

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