Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.9, 2020

The Effect of Early Psychosocial Risks on Health—Based on Data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

(Abstract)

Gao Minghua

In the context of the deepening of aging, the health promotion strategy of “put prevention first, reduce disease occurrence” has been given priority. Exploring the early risk factors that lead to the diseases of old age is a prerequisite for prevention and intervention, and it is also the meaning of “actively responding to population aging.” Based on the results of the global burden of disease (GBD) disability weights assessment, we have assigned a disability weighting to the health status recorded in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study data. Years lived with disability (YLDs) are used as a quantitative indicator to evaluate the predictive effect of early psychosocial risks on the health of the elderly population. The results show that early psychosocial risks significantly increase the years lived with disability and also has significant predictive power for high-risk health status. The relationship between the two is causal. In addition, the study identifies four early social and psychological risks that lead to serious deterioration in the quality of life: physical violence, childhood migration, mother’s mental health and father’s physical health. Interventions aimed at these risk factors will help extend the healthy life expectancy of the elderly and reduce the future burden they represent for our country. The above findings have reference significance for preventing the upstream occurrence of the diseases of old age in individual lifetimes and implementing “full life-cycle health management.”