Relationship between loneliness and quality of life in elderly empty nesters from the Wolong Panda Nature Reserve in Sichuan province, China, from the perspective of Rural Population and Social Sustainability

Abstract Establishment of nature reserves is aimed at preventing the deterioration of the ecological environment and achieving sustainable development. The relationship between ecological protection and the quality of life of community residents is one of the important issues in current sustainable research. In the issue of the quality of life of the community residents in the nature reserve, the empty nester has become a factor restricting the sustainable development of the nature reserve due to the lack of economic opportunities, so it is urgent to pay attention to the empty nester group. However, few studies have focused on elderly empty nesters living in the nature reserve from the perspective of psychological illnesses. This study aimed to examine the extent that social support slows the impact of loneliness on the quality of life (QOL) of elderly empty nesters in Wolong Panda Nature Reserve, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 675 at the Wolong Panda Nature Reserve in Wenchuan County, Sichuan province. Empty nesters living in the Wolong Panda Nature Reserve who were single, aged older than 70 years, had a low education level, or had a low income and poor QOL. Loneliness has a negative impact on QOL. Social support may alleviate the negative effect of loneliness on QOL in elderly empty nesters. The results indicated that more attention should be paid to strengthening the social support for empty nesters to reduce their loneliness levels and improve their QOL. This study could provide support to psychologists engaged in elderly mental health interventions with elderly empty nesters and to administrators who encountered similar situations in other countries or regions.