title: Changes of adult population health status in China from 2003 to 2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the change in health status of China's adult population between the years of 2003 and 2008 due to rapid economic growth and medical system improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the third and fourth Chinese national health services surveys covering 141,927 residents in 2003 and 136,371 residents in 2008 who were aged >18 years were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chinese respondents in 2008 were more likely to report disease than in 2003. Smoking slightly decreased among men and women, and regular exercise showed much improvement. Stratified analyses revealed significant subpopulation disparities in rate ratios for 2008/2003 in the presence of chronic disease, with greater increases among women, elderly, the Han nationality, unmarried and widow, illiterate, rural, and regions east of China than other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese adults in 2008 had worse health status than in 2003 in terms of presence of chronic disease. China's reform of health care will face more complex challenges in coming years from the deteriorating health status in Chinese adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hongpeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qiuju
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hude
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Meina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors