Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of older people with chronic disease (N = 747)

Age

60–69

291 (39.0)

38.91 ± 8.99

2.81

0.061

70–79

296 (39.6)

40.39 ± 9.52

≥ 80

160 (21.4)

38.59 ± 8.43

Gender

male

408 (54.6)

39.72 ± 9.06

0.957

0.339

female

339 (45.4)

39.08 ± 9.18

Marital status

have a spouse

609 (81.5)

39.57 ± 9.26

-0.862

0.389

no spouse

138 (18.5)

38.83 ± 8.45

Educational level

primary school or below

380 (50.8)

39.50 ± 9.44

3.792

0.010

junior high school

196 (26.2)

38.10 ± 9.75

high school

120 (16.1)

39.98 ± 7.85

junior college or above

51 (6.8)

42.71 ± 5.28

Occupation

unemployed

108 (14.5)

39.03 ± 9.04

1.077

0.367

farmer

222 (29.7)

39.96 ± 9.62

worker

213 (28.5)

38.59 ± 9.63

company worker

113 (15.1)

40.64 ± 8.06

government worker

91 (12.2)

39.75 ± 7.78

The number of intimate relationships

0

25 (3.3)

27.10 ± 6.50

13.70

 < 0.001

1–2

328 (43.9)

38.50 ± 9.33

3–5

305 (40.8)

39.60 ± 8.83

> 5

89 (11.9)

40.85 ± 9.20

Primary caregivers

none

65 (8.7)

41.23 ± 8.89

1.176

0.318

spouse

305 (40.8)

38.92 ± 8.85

child

308 (41.2)

39.55 ± 9.55

others

69 (9.2)

39.45 ± 8.42

Monthly family income

< 2000

152 (20.3)

38.30 ± 9.01

1.504

0.186

2000–4000

174 (23.3)

40.80 ± 9.58

4001–6000

125 (16.7)

38.94 ± 8.07

6001–8000

105 (14.1)

39.53 ± 8.94

8001–10000

70 (9.4)

40.14 ± 10.06

> 10000

121 (16.2)

38.88 ± 9.04

Monthly expenses on transitional care

< 500

398(53.3)

38.40 ± 9.01

9.773

 < 0.001

500–1000

196(26.2)

38.31 ± 9.27

> 1000

153(20.5)

41.60 ± 9.53

Medical insurance

Basic medical insurance for urban residents

332 (44.4)

38.19 ± 8.38

4.178

0.006

Basic medical insurance for urban workers

147 (19.7)

41.10 ± 9.20

New type of rural cooperative medical care

233 (31.2)

40.06 ± 9.78

others

35 (4.7)

40.03 ± 9.62

Diagnosis of chronic diseases

hypertension

435 (58.2)

39.33 ± 9.19

0.366

0.715

diabetes

274 (36.7)

40.27 ± 9.26

-1.930

0.054

stroke

99 (13.3)

39.91 ± 7.84

-0.562

0.575

heart disease

81 (10.8)

40.28 ± 9.08

-0.893

0.372

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

67 (9.0)

40.78 ± 8.78

-1.268

0.205