ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Determinants of Quality of Life in Older Adults with Atrial Fibrillation: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis
Chun-Yan Qiao
Yi Xu
Rong Jiang
Meng Zhang
Bi-Jun Huang
Lan Ding
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the determinants that influence quality of life among older adults diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) and to explore the direct and indirect pathways between these factors using structural equation modeling (SEM). Methods: A convenience sample of 252 older adults with AF who were admitted to the hospital between August 2023 and August 2024 was included. Data were collected using the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality-of-Life (AFEQT) questionnaire, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Patients were categorized into high-quality (n = 158) and low-quality (n = 94) groups according to their AFEQT scores. Independent determinants were identified through univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression, followed by the construction of an SEM model to assess interrelationships among variables. Results: Age, monthly income, AF type, New York Heart Association functional classification, treatment adherence, SDS score, SSRS score, and presence of comorbid chronic conditions were identified as independent determinants of quality of life (p < 0.05). SEM demonstrated that age, monthly income, AF type, SDS score, and SSRS score exerted both direct effects (path coefficients of 0.200, -0.131, 0.134, 0.160, and -0.207, respectively) and indirect effects through mediating variables, resulting in total effect coefficients of 0.316, -0.168, 0.188, 0.225, and -0.347, respectively. Conclusion: Quality of life among older adults with AF was influenced by multiple interrelated factors. Social support, psychological status, and economic circumstances exerted significant combined effects through both direct and indirect pathways. The development of individualized, evidence-based nursing interventions that address these determinants may contribute to improved quality of life and overall health outcomes in this population.
Summary
Keywords
Anxiety, Atrial Fibrillation, Depression, Quality of Life, social support, Structural Equation Modeling
Received
24 November 2025
Accepted
16 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Qiao, Xu, Jiang, Zhang, Huang and Ding. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Lan Ding
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