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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Life-Course Epidemiology and Social Inequalities in Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1439857
This article is part of the Research Topic Multi-scale Urban Built Environment and Human Health View all 7 articles

Exploring Urban-Rural Inequities in Elderly Life Expectancy: A Case Study in Zhejiang, China for Health Equity

Provisionally accepted
Yongguo Chen Yongguo Chen 1,2Xiaoting Fan Xiaoting Fan 1Shusheng Shen Shusheng Shen 1,2*Yong Chen Yong Chen 1,2Zhiwei Pan Zhiwei Pan 1Zixuan Chen Zixuan Chen 1Haoqiang Zhong Haoqiang Zhong 1Menglong Li Menglong Li 1
  • 1 Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
  • 2 Other, Hangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the inequities in life expectancy among individuals aged 65 and above in urban and rural areas of Zhejiang Province, China, with a primary focus on promoting health equity among the elderly population. The objective is to analyze the trends and factors contributing to the urban-rural gap in life expectancy and to propose strategies for reducing this disparity. Data from the 2010 and 2020 statistical records and census data were analyzed using cohort life tables and gray correlation analysis. Results indicate an overall increase in life expectancy among the elderly, with a more pronounced improvement in rural areas, thereby narrowing the urban-rural gap from 1.53 years in 2010 to 1 year in 2020. Income inequality emerges as the primary factor influencing life expectancy, followed by educational attainment, with variations across different age groups and gender. This underscores the importance of tailored interventions that consider the specific needs of elderly individuals in diverse geographical areas and age brackets to extend life expectancy and promote health equity. By tackling these unfair differences, health equity can be ensured and the overall well-being of the older population in both urban and rural areas can be improved.

    Keywords: the elderly, Life Expectancy, Urban-rural Inequities, Health inequities, social

    Received: 29 May 2024; Accepted: 10 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Fan, Shen, Chen, Pan, Chen, Zhong and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Shusheng Shen, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China

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