title: A research agenda for aging in China in the 21st century.
abstract: China is encountering formidable healthcare challenges brought about by the problem of aging. By 2050, there will be 400 million Chinese citizens aged 65+, 150 million of whom will be 80+. The undesirable consequences of the one-child policy, rural-to-urban migration, and expansion of the population of 'empty nest' elders are eroding the traditional family care of the elders, further exacerbating the burden borne by the current public healthcare system. The challenges of geriatric care demand prompt attention by proposing strategies for improvement in several key areas. Major diseases of the elderly that need more attention include chronic non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders. We suggest the establishment of a home care-dominated geriatric care system, and a proactive role for researchers on aging in reforming geriatric care through policy dialogs. We propose ideas for preparation of the impending aging burden and the creation of a nurturing environment conducive to healthy aging in China.
authors: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Ageing, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. Electronic address: evandro.fang@nih.gov.
authors: Evandro Fei
authors: EF
authors: Fang
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Ageing, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. Electronic address: scheibyem@mail.nih.gov.
authors: Morten
authors: M
authors: Scheibye-Knudsen
authors: Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld 33615, Germany. Electronic address: heiko.jahn@uni-bielefeld.de.
authors: Heiko J
authors: HJ
authors: Jahn
authors: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: lijuan@psych.ac.cn.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Sun Yat-sen Center for Migrant Health Policy, Guangzhou 510080, China. Electronic address: lingli@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Ling
authors: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: hwguo@shmu.edu.cn.
authors: Hongwei
authors: H
authors: Guo
authors: Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, and Department of Toxicology and Nutrition, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: zhuxq@zju.edu.cn.
authors: Xinqiang
authors: X
authors: Zhu
authors: Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division, School of Medicine, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK. Electronic address: victor.preedy@kcl.ac.uk.
authors: Victor
authors: V
authors: Preedy
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Ageing, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. Electronic address: huiming.lu@nih.gov.
authors: Huiming
authors: H
authors: Lu
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Ageing, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. Electronic address: BohrV@grc.nia.nih.gov.
authors: Vilhelm A
authors: VA
authors: Bohr
authors: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: chanwy@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors: Wai Yee
authors: WY
authors: Chan
authors: Peking Union School of Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100006, China; Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: yuanliu@hsph.harvard.edu.
authors: Yuanli
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: b021770@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors: Tzi Bun
authors: TB
authors: Ng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011157:Population Dynamics
keywords: Aging; Chronic non-communicable diseases; Geriatric care; Mental health; Pharmacological interventions; Physical exercise; Policy; Public health