A STUDY ON THE CHANGING TREND OF HEALTH INDICATORS OF THE ELDERLY IN MAINLAND CHINA: 1998-2014.

Along with the extending average life expectancy and the declining fertility rate, mainland China has experienced the much rapider process of population aging for the last two decades. Therefore, this paper uses Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data to measure and estimate the changing process of health indicators of the elderly in mainland China. By exploring seven wave data including some principal indicators about the elderly health, such as Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Self-Rated-Health (SRH), Mental Health (Mental), Cognitive Level (MMSE) and Frailty Index (FI), we can highlight the dynamic change of major health indicators of Chinese elderly between 1998-2014. Firstly, findings turn out that average health indicators in earlier years have no significant difference between the later ones. Further analysis about health indicators showed that age and cohort are two main interference factors to estimate the changing trend of health status of the elderly because of selectivity. After controlling these two factors, we can figure out a deterioration in health index when the elderly grow older. In addition, the health levels of people in same cohort decreased with age. Objective and comprehensive indicators in younger cohorts deteriorated slower than older elderly cohort. However, this trend turns to opposite when comes to subjective health indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]