Important Issues about Chinese Rural Older Adults’ Pandemic Crisis Coping: A Qualitative Study by Grounded Theory

Background. Rural older adults are an important vulnerable group facing the pandemic crisis. They are at a greater risk and have suffered more. They need more support and have challenged the society more. Thus, their pandemic crisis coping is essential for national emergency management. Objectives. This study was designed to address issues of rural older adults’ pandemic crisis coping, with the aim of better protecting rural older adults’ health and supporting national emergency management. Methods. Grounded theory was employed in this study. Open questions were designed by theoretical sampling and theoretical coding processes until theoretical saturation. In total, 56 participants were recruited via a snowballing process, from ZX city, Hubei Province, China. Results. Rural older adults’ pandemic crisis coping was impacted by many limitations, including less coping awareness, lower coping capacity, and insufficient coping support. Pandemic crisis coping awareness was difficult to initiate and lagged. The older adults’ pandemic crisis coping capacity was impacted by limited knowledge, weak personal finances, and a deficient ability to obtain and stockpile materials. Social support for coping with the pandemic crisis was limited to life support, official support, and health support. Conclusion. Much attention needs to be paid in strengthening the pandemic crisis coping of rural older adults. Thus, future works should focus on raising rural older adults’ pandemic crisis coping awareness, improving their pandemic crisis coping capacity, and providing them with appropriate pandemic crisis coping support.