When I’m 104: The Determinants of Healthy Longevity among the Oldest-Old in China

Dennis A. Ahlburg, University of Minnesota
Eric R. Jensen, College of William and Mary
Ruyan Liao, University of Minnesota

This study uses the China Healthy Longevity Survey of Oldest-Old to investigate the health status of the oldest-old in China. We found that the different measures of health collected in the survey were only moderately related. That is, there is not a single construct called “health”. We found that work history was modestly related to some measures of health. We also found that childhood health and socioeconomic status were correlated with health even at advanced ages. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine this connection in developing countries and at such advanced ages.