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Research Article: Community-built environment and self-rated health in Western China: a latent serial mediation within SEM of sleep quality and family functioning

Date Published: 2026-04-24

Abstract:
To clarify the underlying relationship between community-built environment and self-rated health in rapidly urbanizing China and examine the chained mediation effects of sleep quality and family functioning. Data were derived from a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in Gaoping District, Sichuan Province. The Chinese versions of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Abbreviated, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Family Assessment Device were used to assess the community-built environment, self-rated health, sleep quality, and family functioning. Based on the Structural Equation Model, a structural equation model was constructed, and the weighted least squares mean- and variance-adjusted estimator was used to test the model. After the preliminary confirmatory factor analysis, model fit was evaluated using the comparative fit index, Tucker-Lewis’s index, root mean square error of approximation, and standardized root mean square residual. This study included 2,705 adults (mean age 51.8?±?18.3?years; 60% female). After adjusting for socioeconomic characteristics, the community-built environment was not significantly associated with self-rated health (all p >?0.05). In contrast, better sleep quality was identified as the strongest predictor of higher self-rated health ( ? =?0.383, p <?0.001). The hypothesized serial mediation effect was not statistically significant ( ? =??0.008, p =?0.068). In the mixed urban–rural context of western China, the community-built environment was not significantly associated with the self-rated health among community-dwelling adults. Notably, sleep quality was identified as the predominant factor affecting self-rated health outcomes.

Introduction:
Self-rated health (SRH) is widely acknowledged as a holistic indicator of an individual’s overall health outcomes, physical, psychological, and social well-being ( 1 , 2 ). It has been well documented that declining SRH serves as a critical early warning signal for functional impairment and chronic diseases among working-age and older populations ( 3–5 ). Despite rising life expectancy in China, a concerning “Health-Survival Paradox” has emerged ( 6 ). Recent national surveys indicate that sub-optimal health…

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