Social functions of the longevous elderly population in Dujiangyan

Objective To describe the social functions of the longevous elderly population in Dujiangyan. Methods A questionnaire survey was undertaken in Dujiangyan in 875 elderly people who were over 90 years old. Results Poor social economic status was prevalent in the longevous elderly population. The elderly people had limited social contacts except from their families. The daily lives of 65.0% of the longevous elderly were taken care of by their families. More than 81.8% of the longevous elderly people were financially supported by their families. About 89.2% of the longevous elderly people had accessed to spiritual supports in difficult circumstances, among 88.7% came from families. Conclusion Thanks to the family supports, the longevous people in Dujiangyan have maintained good social functions.