Elderly Health Inequality in China and its Determinants: A Geographical Perspective

Inter-regional health differences and apparent inequalities in China have recently received significant attention. By collecting health status data and individual socio-economic information from the 2015 fourth sampling survey of the elderly population in China (4th SSEP), this paper uses the geographical differentiation index to reveal the spatial differentiation of health inequality among Chinese provinces. We test the determinants of inequalities by multilevel regression models at the provincial and individual levels, and find three main conclusions: 1) There were significant health differences on an inter-provincial level. For example, provinces with a very good or good health rating formed a good health hot-spot region in the Yangtze River Delta, versus elderly people living in Gansu and Hainan provinces, who had a poor health status. 2) Nearly 2.4% of the health differences in the elderly population were caused by inter-provincial inequalities; access (or lack of access) to economic, medical and educational resources was the main reason for health inequalities. 3) At the individual level, inequalities in annual income served to deepen elderly health differences, and elderly living in less developed areas were more vulnerable to urban vs. rural-related health inequalities.

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Oral health status in a group of the elderly population residing at home

Gerodontology ◽

10.1111/j.1741-2358.2011.00556.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. e761-e767 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Haviye Erverdi Nazliel ◽

Nur Hersek ◽

Murat Ozbek ◽

Ergun Karaagaoglu

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Oral Health ◽

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly ◽

Oral Health Status ◽

At Home

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Socio-economic health differences among the elderly population in Krakow, Poland

Sozial- und Präventivmedizin ◽

10.1007/s00038-005-2051-8 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 177-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Tomasz Knurowski ◽

Jitse P. van Dijk ◽

Andrea Madarasova Geckova ◽

Piotr Brzyski ◽

Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly ◽

Health Differences ◽

Economic Health

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Health status of the elderly population among four primitive tribes of Orissa, India: A clinico-epidemiological study

Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie ◽

10.1007/s00391-008-0530-2 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 53-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Anna S. Kerketta ◽

Gandham Bulliyya ◽

Bontha V. Babu ◽

Surendra S. S. Mohapatra ◽

Rabi N. Nayak

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Epidemiological Study ◽

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly

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Rural versus Urban Differences in Health Dependence among the Elderly Population

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.2190/xn5p-p2x0-mlud-0hrm ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 141-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

John A. Krout

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Multiple Regression Analysis ◽

Elderly People ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Central City ◽

The Elderly ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Community Settings ◽

Elderly Health

This article examines data on rural versus urban differences in health dependency for a random sample of 600 western New York elderly people residing in a range of community settings from farm areas to a metropolitan central city. Data were collected via personal interviews, and health dependency was operationalized as an index composed of nine criterion measures. The nonmetropolitan elderly population is found to be less health dependent as are elderly persons who are younger, white, married, and have higher incomes. However, the rural/urban variable is not a significant predictor of health dependency when included in a multiple-regression analysis. These findings do not support the rural elderly health disadvantage argument and serve to illustrate some of the shortcomings of existing research on this topic.

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Nutrition and Health Status of Elderly People in Bangladesh: Evidence From a Nationwide Survey

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab033_039 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 39-39

Author(s):

Malay Kanti Mridha ◽

Md Mokbul Hossain ◽

Md Showkat Ali Khan ◽

Abu abdullah Mohammad Hanif ◽

Mehedi Hasan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Elderly People ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Kidney Diseases ◽

The Elderly ◽

Family Welfare ◽

Nutrition And Health ◽

Health And Nutrition

Abstract Objectives Though Bangladesh is passing through demographic, epidemiologic and nutritional transitions, national estimates on nutrition and health status of the elderly population are largely unknown. We aimed to determine the status of selected health and nutrition indicators among the elderly population in Bangladesh. Methods For the first time in Bangladesh, we included elderly population (≥60 years old females and males) as a separate population group in the national food security and nutrition surveillance round 2018–2019. We collected data on dietary diversity, nutritional status, behavioral risk factors of non-communicable diseases, blood pressure, and self-reported chronic diseases from 4,818 elderly people (48% female) living in 82 clusters (57 rural, 15 non-slums urban, and 10 slums) randomly selected from eight administrative division of Bangladesh. Results Majority (59% in rural, 53% in non-slum urban, and 69% in slums) of elderly people were consuming an inadequately diverse (4 or less food groups out of 10) diet. Overall, 89% of elderly people were malnourished (20%) or at risk of malnutrition (69%). The highest prevalence of malnutrition was in Mymensingh division (37%) followed by Sylhet division (27%). The prevalence of obesity was 5%, 16%, and 11%, in rural, non-slum urban, and slums, respectively. The national prevalence of smoking, smokeless tobacco consumption, physical inactivity was 18%, 52%, and 38%, respectively. There was a high burden of hypertension (49% in rural, 53% in non-slum urban, and 39% in slums). Overall, 16% of elderly people had heart diseases, 14% had chronic respiratory diseases, 3% had kidney diseases, 9% had diabetes, 8% had stroke, 0.5% had cancer and 1.4% had mental health problems. Conclusions The government of Bangladesh should design and implement health and nutrition programs among the elderly population. The regional differences in the prevalence of health and nutrition indicators should be considered while designing such programs. Funding Sources Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh

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The association of tobacco smoking and bone health in the elderly population of Iran: results from Bushehr elderly health (BEH) program

Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders ◽

10.1007/s40200-020-00532-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 461-468

Author(s):

Touraj Valeh ◽

Safoora Gharibzadeh ◽

Farbod Zahedi Tajrishi ◽

Noushin Fahimfar ◽

Hamid Reza Aghaei Meibodi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Smoking ◽

Bone Health ◽

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly ◽

Elderly Health

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The Future of the Elderly Population Health Status: Filling a Knowledge Gap

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3753614 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Vincenzo Atella ◽

Federico Belotti ◽

Daejung Kim ◽

Dana Goldman ◽

Tadeja Gracner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Population Health ◽

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly ◽

Knowledge Gap ◽

The Future

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Health Difference, Disparity, Inequality, or Inequity—What Difference Does It Make What We Call It?

Understanding Health Inequalities and Justice ◽

10.5149/northcarolina/9781469630359.003.0002 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Paula Braveman

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Empirical Evidence ◽

Health Equity ◽

Health Inequalities ◽

Health Inequality ◽

Social Disadvantage ◽

The Past ◽

Health Differences ◽

Technical Issues

Over the past two and a half decades, distinct approaches have been taken to defining and measuring health inequalities or disparities and health equity. Some efforts have focused on technical issues in measurement, often without addressing the implications for the concepts themselves and how that might influence action. Others have focused on the concepts, often without addressing the implications for measurement. This chapter contrasts approaches that have been proposed, examining their conceptual bases and implications for measurement and policy. It argues for an approach to defining health inequalities and health equity that centers on notions of justice and has its basis in ethical and human rights principles as well as empirical evidence. According to this approach, health inequality or disparity is used to refer to a subset of health differences that are closely linked with—but not necessarily proven caused by—social disadvantage. The term “inequity,” which means injustice, could also be used, but arguments are presented for using it somewhat more sparingly, for those inequalities or disparities in health or its determinants that we know are caused by social disadvantage.

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Social Engagement and Elderly Health in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16020278 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 278 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Jin Liu ◽

Scott Rozelle ◽

Qing Xu ◽

Ning Yu ◽

Tianshu Zhou

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

The Elderly ◽

Health Behavior Change ◽

Longitudinal Survey ◽

Elderly Health ◽

The Impact

This study examines the impact of social engagement on elderly health in China. A two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) regression approach was used to examine the causal relationship. Our dataset comprises 9253 people aged 60 or above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) conducted in 2011 and 2013. Social engagement significantly improved the self-rated health of the elderly and reduced mental distress, but had no effect on chronic disease status. Compared with the rural areas, social engagement played a more important role in promoting the elderly health status in urban areas. Social engagement could affect the health status of the elderly through health behavior change and access to health resources. To improve the health of the elderly in China and promote healthy aging, the government should not only improve access to effective medical care but also encourage greater social engagement of the elderly.

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