Abstract: Objective To investigate the health status and nursing needs of rural empty-nested elderly,provide a basis for improving their health level,and accumulate data for constructing a new model for rural old-age care. Methods From March to June 2023,a total of 683 elderly people aged 60 and above were selected from 10 townships in Songzi City,Hubei Province as survey subjects. The EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire（EQ-5D） and the care needs questionnaire were used for the survey. Use methods such as t-test and multiple linear regression for data analysis. Results 90.34% of empty nesters suffered from chronic diseases,and the dimension with the highest proportion of difficulty in self-evaluation in the EQ-5D health description system was pain or discomfort. The EQ-5D index score was （0.877±0.131）points,and the EQ-VAS score was （75.19±17.05）points. Educational level and medical payment methods were positively correlated with the EQ-5D health description scores（both P<0.05）. The score of total nursing needs of empty nest elderly was （3.32±0.96）points,and the top two nursing needs in the rankings were "providing regular health checkups" and "establishment of health counseling hotline". The nursing needs of those who rated themselves as having difficulty with "pain or discomfort" and "anxiety or depression" were higher than those who rated themselves as not having difficulty（both P<0.05）. Conclusion The proportion of empty-nesting elderly people in rural areas of Songzi City,Hubei Province suffering from chronic physical and mental diseases is high,and their health status is average. There is a great demand for nursing services,and the health management and nursing services for rural elderly people urgently need to be improved.

Key words: Empty-nested elderly, Health status, Nursing needs