Effective interventions on health effects of Chinese rural elderly under heat exposure

Due to climate change,the heatwave has become a more serious public health threat with aging as an aggravating factor in recent years.There is a pressing need to detect the most effective prevention and response measures.However,the specific health effects of interventions have not been characterized on an individual scale.In this study,an intervention experiment was designed to explore the health effects of heat exposure at the individual level and assess the effects of different interventions based on a comprehensive health sensitivity index(CHSI)in Xinyi,China.Forty-one subjects were recruited randomly,and divided into one control group and three intervention groups.Interventions included education(Educate by lecturing,offering relative materials,and communication),subsidy support(offer subsidy to offset the cost of running air conditioning),and cooling-spray(install a piece of cooling-spray equipment in the yard).Results showed that systolic blood pressure(SBP)and deep sleep duration(DSD)were significantly affected by short-term heat exposure,and the effects could be alleviated by three types of interventions.The estimated CHSI indicated that the effective days of the education group were longer than other groups,while the lower CHSI of the subsidy group showed lower sensitivity than the control group.These findings provide feasible implementation strategies to optimize Heat-health action plans and evaluate the intervention performance.

Investigation and Countermeasures on the Health-Promoting Lifestyle of the Disabled Elderly in a Rural Area

Objective： To investigate the level of health-promoting lifestyle in the disabled elderly in a rural area and to provide useful countermeasures for health care workers and the government to improve the elderly＇ s lifestyle behaviors. Methods： A total of 446 disabled elderly people were recruited and examined using the General Questionnaire and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Results： The mean score of the health-promoting lifestyle was 109.73（ SD = 16.80）, in which 90.6 percent of the disabled elderly demonstrated unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. The average score for each of the subscales includedthe following： interpersonal relations, stress management, nutrition, self-actualization, health responsibility, and sports activity. Conclusions： The health-promoting lifestyle of the disabled elderly needs to be improved; health care workers and the government should pay more attention to the countermeasures that can improve the lifestyle behaviors and promote the health of the disabled elderly.

An overview report on the situation of elderly people in urban and rural China:2000-2015

China had become a country with an aging population by the end of the 20th century.Dealing with the aging of its population is a long-term strategic task for China.“The National Survey on Elderly People in Urban and Rural China”has been carried out four times since the year 2000.The data shows that during the years 2000 to 2015 the wellbeing of elderly people in urban and rural China improved greatly.The economic status of the elderly has obviously improved;and there have also been steady improvements to social security protections,health care services and the availability of social activities in which the elderly can participate.In addition,the spiritual and cultural life of the elderly has become richer and more colorful.The aging of society creates challenges,such as potential shortages of labor resources,the weakening of family functions and the need for more medical care facilities and services,and these intensify over time.At the same time,changes to the structure of demand and of industry caused by societal aging bring many opportunities.

Old age security in rural China： there is a long way to go

Objective We aimed to examine the current developments and challenges confronted by old age security in rural China. Data sources This study is based on the data from PubMed, Elsevier, Wiley, EBSCO, EMBASE, SCI Expanded, ProQuest, Google, and CNKI which is the most informative database in Chinese. Study selection Articles were selected with the search terms ＂rural＂, ＂China＂, ＂old＂, ＂older＂, or ＂elder＂, ＂elderly＂, or ＂aged＂, ＂aging＂, ＂security＂, ＂culture＂, ＂value＂, ＂medical insurance＂ or ＂community based medical insurance＂ or ＂cooperative medical scheme＂. Related websites and yearbooks were searched as well. Results The socio-economic development has made the burden of traditional care for the rural elderly heavier than ever, and new challenges are emerging in rural communities, such as poor economic, deteriorating natural environment and health crisis. Conclusions The governments should improve the scale and caliber of rural old age security and strengthen regulations with areat efforts in develoDina the rural economv and Drotectina the natural environment of rural communities.