Does living alone reshape healthcare use? Longitudinal evidence from older adults in China
Strengthening community-based interventions and enhancing the quality and coverage of primary care-particularly in rural areas-are essential to reducing treatment delays and promoting early care-seeking. Policy efforts should prioritise the unique vulnerabilities of older women, low-income individuals, and rural residents by addressing emotional barriers, improving health literacy, and enhancing the accessibility of services. Rebuilding trust in primary care requires sustained investment in provider professionalism, facility infrastructure, and efficient referral systems.
Authors
- Jingwen Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9375-3559)
- Mengling Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2786-8283)
- Yue Hou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7360-218X)
- Junjie Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4484-2296)
- Aohan Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4295-4426)
- Yijun Chen
Institutions
- University of Stirling (GB)
- East China University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Tangshan College (CN)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- TED University (TR)
- Cardiff University (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Primary Care
- Published
- 2026-01-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-025-03164-7
- Primary Topic
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Cardiff University