Impact of family communication on the subjective well-being in elderly patients with chronic diseases: A national cross-sectional study

Subjective well-being is a key indicator of healthy aging. However, its relationship with family communication still requires thorough discussion. Data from the 2022 Psychology and Behaviour Investigation of Chinese Residents survey was utilized. The World Health Organization-5 Well-being Index assessed subjective well-being. The Brief Health Literacy Scale, the 10-Item Family Communication Scale, and the Brief Self-Efficacy Scale measured health literacy, family communication, and self-efficacy, respectively. A structural equation model verified path relationships. This cross-sectional study involved 2201 elderly chronic disease patients aged 60 and above. Initially, multiple collinearity tests and common method analysis were conducted, followed by determination of covariates through partial correlation analysis. After controlling for covariates, the results of the structural equation model showed a good fit for the sequential mediation model, with all paths being significant. The subjective well-being of the elderly chronic disease patients is positively correlated with family communication. Health literacy and self-efficacy play a chain mediating role in this relationship.