Factors of Influencing the Prevalence Rate of Illness in the Last Two Weeks among the Rural Ethnic Minority Elderly in Ethnic Minority Areas

[Objective] To describe the prevalence rate of illness in the last two weeks, and to analyze influencing factors among the rural ethnic minority elderly in the ethnic minority areas. [Methods] This cross-sectional study utilized the data of health among 149 rural ethnic minority old people at the age of 60 or older in Shibing county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture of Guizhou province from National Health Services Survey in China, 2008. Multivariate stepwise logistic regressions were performed. [Results] The prevalence rate of illness in the last two weeks was 52.3 percent (78/149). Among the 78 patients, 33.3 percent reported a serious illness; 66.7 percent did not. 26.9 percent were in bed for one day or longer because of illness; 73.1 percent were in bed for shorter than one day. There was a significant difference in the prevalence rate among the rural ethnic minority old people with different education (chi(2)=6.044, P=0.049), family average annual earning (chi(2)=12.074, P=0.017), visual impairment (chi(2)=5.557, P=0.018), and chronic disease (chi(2)=8.548, P=0.003). The ethnic minority old populations with chronic diseases were more likely to report the prevalence rate of illness in the last two weeks than the ethnic minority old populations without chronic diseases. The ethnic minority with the education of primary school were more likely to report the prevalence rate than the ethnic minority with the education of lower than primary school. The ethnic minority in the highest and middle groups of family average annual earnings were less likely to report the prevalence rate than the ethnic minority in the lowest group. The value of odds ratio was 3.93, 3.32, 0.19, and 0.16, respectively. [Conclusion] The prevalence rate of illness in the last two weeks is high among the rural ethnic minority elderly. The prevalence rate is influenced by the prevalence of chronic disease, education, and family average annual earning.