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Objective To investigate the contribution of early-life factors on intrinsic capacity of Chinese adults older than 45 years. Methods We used data on 21 783 participants from waves 1 (2011) and 2 (2013) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), who also participated in the 2014 CHARLS Life History Survey to calculate a previously validated measure of intrinsic capacity. We considered 11 early-life factors and investigated their direct association with participants' intrinsic capacity later in life, as well as their indirect association through four current socioeconomic factors. We used multivariable linear regression and the decomposition of the concentration index to investigate the contribution of each determinant to intrinsic capacity inequalities. Findings Participants with a favourable environment in early life (that is, parental education, childhood health and neighbourhood environment) had a significantly higher intrinsic capacity score in later life. For example, participants with a literate father recorded a 0.040 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.020 to 0.051) higher intrinsic capacity score than those with an illiterate father. This inequality was greater for cognitive, sensory and psychological capacities than locomotion and vitality. Overall, early-life factors directly explained 13.92% (95% CI: 12.07 to 15.77) of intrinsic capacity inequalities, and a further 28.57% (95% CI: 28.19 to 28.95) of these inequalities through their influence on current socioeconomic inequalities. Conclusion Unfavourable early-life factors appear to decrease late-life health status in China, particularly cognitive, sensory and psychological capacities, and these effects are exacerbated by cumulative socioeconomic inequalities over a person's life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses semi-structured in-depth interviews with rural–urban migrants in Tianjin to look at the personal circumstances of such migrants in China. The interviews suggest that, unlike their predecessors in previous years, many rural–urban migrants now come with the intention of settling down. While there have been major policy changes in the last five years, these migrants are still, in many respects, not integrated into urban society. Meeting these challenges would require further changes in urban policies and urban society, taking account of the needs and interests of rural–urban migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the clinical sciences, systematic reviews have proved useful in the aggregation of diverse sources of evidence. They identify, characterize and summate evidence, but these methodologies have not always proved suitable for the social sciences. We discuss some of the practical problems faced by researchers undertaking reviews of complex and cross-disciplinary topics, using the example of mental health and social exclusion. The barriers to carrying out social science and cross-disciplinary reviews are reported and some proposals for overcoming these barriers are made, not all of them tried and tested, and some of them controversial. Using a mapping approach, a wide-ranging search of both clinical and social science databases was undertaken and a large volume of references was identified and characterized. Population sampling techniques were used to manage these references. The challenges encountered include: inconsistent definitions of social phenomena, differing use of key concepts across research fields and practical problems relating to database compatibility and computer processing power. The challenges and opportunities for social scientists or multidisciplinary research teams carrying out reviews are discussed. Literature mapping and systematic reviews are useful tools but methods need to be tailored to optimize their usefulness in the social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]