Effects of mold exposure on self-rated health in Chinese older adults: a moderated mediation model of anxiety and indoor ventilation frequency

The impact of indoor environmental quality on the health of older adults is becoming increasingly evident in the context of an aging population. Mold exposure, a common source of residential environmental hazards, may pose a significant threat to self-rated health in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mold exposure and self-rated health in older adults, considering the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of indoor ventilation frequency. Data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) were used, including 9435 subjects aged 65 and above. These relationships were explored by using Spearman correlation analysis and moderated mediation analysis. Mold exposure has a direct negative impact on the self-rated health of the old adults (β= -0.217, 95%CI= -0.266, -0.167). Anxiety partly mediates this relationship. The frequency of indoor ventilation is a moderating factor for mold exposure and anxiety (β= -0.053, p < 0.01). Mold exposure was found to be significantly negatively associated with self-rated health among older adults. Anxiety plays a mediating role in it, and the indoor ventilation frequency moderates the relationship between mold exposure and anxiety. The findings suggest that a combination of implementing mental health interventions and increasing the frequency of indoor ventilation may be effective in moderating the path of association between mold exposure and self-rated health status in older people.