Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults
Abstract Background Place of death has received extensive interest among scholars, but research focusing on place of death among Chinese older adults is scarce. This study aimed to explore the associations between rural/urban residence, primary income source, and place of death among Chinese older a...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Palliative Care |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-025-01824-0 |
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| author | Rui Zhou Shuangshuang Wang Aaron Yao |
| author_facet | Rui Zhou Shuangshuang Wang Aaron Yao |
| author_sort | Rui Zhou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Place of death has received extensive interest among scholars, but research focusing on place of death among Chinese older adults is scarce. This study aimed to explore the associations between rural/urban residence, primary income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults. Methods The sample consists of 24,794 decedents (female = 60%, died at home = 88%, mean age at death = 95) from the 2002–2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Chi-squared tests and binary logistic regression models were used to analyze relationships between residential area (urban vs. town or rural), income source (financial support from family vs. personal income), and place of death (home vs. hospitals or other healthcare settings). Results Decedents living in cities were 3.5 times more likely to die in hospitals or other healthcare settings than at home, and those who had personal income were 1.5 times more likely to die in healthcare settings than at home. Notably, the interaction between city and personal income were significant (P < 0.001). Older adults who both lived in cities and had personal income had the highest probability (83%) to die in healthcare settings. Conclusions Urban residence and having personal income were highly associated with dying in hospitals or other healthcare settings. As China urbanizes and expands its pension system, an increasingly higher percentage of deaths may happen in healthcare settings. This study alerts policymakers of the enormous pressures that the hospital-centered care system may face in the future. A home-based palliative care and hospice system may be needed to improve the incidence and experiences of patients dying at home. Trial registration Not applicable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b0c3b78f457841bcb2ba4ee4f6f66ac1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1472-684X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Palliative Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-b0c3b78f457841bcb2ba4ee4f6f66ac12025-08-20T03:04:21ZengBMCBMC Palliative Care1472-684X2025-07-0124111010.1186/s12904-025-01824-0Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adultsRui Zhou0Shuangshuang Wang1Aaron Yao2School of Public Administration and Human Geography, Hunan University of Technology and BussinessSchool of Public Administration, Southwest Jiaotong UniversityHome Centered Care InstituteAbstract Background Place of death has received extensive interest among scholars, but research focusing on place of death among Chinese older adults is scarce. This study aimed to explore the associations between rural/urban residence, primary income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults. Methods The sample consists of 24,794 decedents (female = 60%, died at home = 88%, mean age at death = 95) from the 2002–2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Chi-squared tests and binary logistic regression models were used to analyze relationships between residential area (urban vs. town or rural), income source (financial support from family vs. personal income), and place of death (home vs. hospitals or other healthcare settings). Results Decedents living in cities were 3.5 times more likely to die in hospitals or other healthcare settings than at home, and those who had personal income were 1.5 times more likely to die in healthcare settings than at home. Notably, the interaction between city and personal income were significant (P < 0.001). Older adults who both lived in cities and had personal income had the highest probability (83%) to die in healthcare settings. Conclusions Urban residence and having personal income were highly associated with dying in hospitals or other healthcare settings. As China urbanizes and expands its pension system, an increasingly higher percentage of deaths may happen in healthcare settings. This study alerts policymakers of the enormous pressures that the hospital-centered care system may face in the future. A home-based palliative care and hospice system may be needed to improve the incidence and experiences of patients dying at home. Trial registration Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-025-01824-0Place of deathResidential areaIncome sourceChina |
| spellingShingle | Rui Zhou Shuangshuang Wang Aaron Yao Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults BMC Palliative Care Place of death Residential area Income source China |
| title | Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults |
| title_full | Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults |
| title_fullStr | Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults |
| title_short | Urban residence, income source, and place of death among Chinese older adults |
| title_sort | urban residence income source and place of death among chinese older adults |
| topic | Place of death Residential area Income source China |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-025-01824-0 |
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