In a recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific , researchers comparatively examined epidemiological evidence from Chinese megacities to assess the influence of their distinct urban growth trajectories across time on the health of their aging residents. Study: Urban health advantage and penalty in aging populations: a comparative study across major megacities in China . Image Credit: mehdi33300/Shutterstock.
com Cities are critical for infrastructure, services, and economic growth, and urban life is associated with improved health consequences due to increased accessibility to healthcare, education, and transportation. However, decentralization in affluent nations has resulted in poverty, crime, and drug usage in urban areas, as well as pollution, overcrowding, and health disparities. There is a life expectancy disparity in China, and understanding the link between wellness and urban growth is critical for enhancing healthy aging among individuals and maintaining improved life expectancy.
Most research focuses on urban-rural disparities, with limited emphasis on evidence-based health disparities inside cities. In the present study, researchers used high-resolution geospatial demographic data to investigate complex interactions between urban environments and urban planning with individual-level health outcomes in elderly individuals living in China's six megacities: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu, and Chongqing. The researchers examined.