Urban Older Adults Becoming Unhealthier in Modern China: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis.

This study investigated patterns of change in the health status of urban older adults in urban China from 2001 to 2013. A cross-temporal meta-analysis was applied to 111 selected studies in which the SF-36 had been administered to urban older adults in China. Scores from a total of 72,441 participants were analyzed. Correlations between the SF-36 scores and sampling years were examined. The self-reported health status of urban older adults in China has declined significantly in the past 13 years. The observed decline in the health status of older adults suggests that economic progress and a rapidly aging population have had more negative than positive effects on the health of this population.