Objectives: To explore potential profiles of successful aging among empty nesters using latent profile analysis and to analyze their influencing factors.
Methods: A total of 452 community-based empty nesters were included using convenience sampling. Empty nesters were surveyed using the Successful Ageing Scale, Social Capital Scale, Sense of Coherence Scale, and Chinese version of the Health-Promotion Lifestyle Scale-II. Latent profile analysis was used to categorize the successful aging of empty nesters, and factors influencing each category were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.
Results: Four latent profiles of successful aging were identified: 'low successful aging-low spirituality', 'high successful aging-spiritual fluctuation', 'high successful aging-balanced development group', and 'medium successful aging-medium spirituality'. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that gender, education, residence mode, and social capital were factors influencing the potential profiles of successful aging.
Conclusions: There are four potential categories of successful aging among empty nesters. Gender, education, residence mode, and social capital were associated with successful aging among empty nesters. Targeting interventions may help enhance empty nesters' successful aging. Future research should combine subjective and objective indicators to assess the health of older people and explore other determinants for formulating interventions to improve successful aging of empty nesters.
Keywords: Empty nesters; latent profile analysis; related factors; successful aging.