The health of aging populations in China and India.
China and India are home to two of the world's largest populations, and both populations are aging rapidly. Our data compare health status, risk factors, and chronic diseases among people age forty-five and older in China and India. By 2030, 65.6 percent of the Chinese and 45.4 percent of the Indian health burden are projected to be borne by older adults, a population with high levels of noncommunicable diseases. Smoking (26 percent in both China and India) and inadequate physical activity (10 percent and 17.7 percent, respectively) are highly prevalent. Health policy and interventions informed by appropriate data will be needed to avert this burden.
Chatterji
Somnath
S
Measurement and Health Information Systems, at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. chatterjis@who.int
Kowal
Paul
P
Mathers
Colin
C
Naidoo
Nirmala
N
Verdes
Emese
E
Smith
James P
JP
Suzman
Richard
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008875:Middle Aged; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors