Urban-rural differences in the successful aging among the elders in China

Abstract Objectives: The aim of the present work was to compare successful aging between the Chinese elders living in urban and rural areas using a multidimensional model of successful aging including both biomedical and non-medical components. Methods: Using the data of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in 2018,a total sample of 7315 men and women living in China urban and rural areas was included after eliminating blank values and unreasonable answers in certain item or index.A successful aging index using 10 attributes and ranging from 0-10 scores was used.The differences of successful aging between urban and rural elderly in China were studied. Results: EU had better financial and educational status and scored higher in all social activity parameters except for interacting with friends(p<0.001). EU were more likely to be physically active (p<0.001), had higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p<0.001) and were less likely to be smoking (p = 0.018). EU tended to have higher CVD risk factors than ER(p<0.001).Depression score was similar among EU compared to ER (p=0.129). EU was aging significantly more successfully than ER (p<0.001). Men irrespective of location were aging significantly more successfully than women (p<0.001). Conclusion: The successful aging of elderly people in China has significant urban-rural differences in various dimensions and the successful aging rate of elderly people in urban areas is higher than that in rural areas.Same conclusion was drawn based on their gender and men were aging significantly more successfully than women.