The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and current regular alcohol use was examined separately for urban and rural residents of Hubei, China, using the third Chinese National Health Service Survey conducted in 2003. A probability sample of 15,609 respondents, ages 15 through 101 years, was selected from the study base. Alcohol use was a dichotomized variable (current regular users vs. others). Multivariate analyses incorporated four SES indicators: income, education, occupation, and house size. Investigation of status discrepancy indicated that income was positively associated with the likelihood of current regular alcohol use, whereas education was negatively associated. For both urban and rural residents, likelihood of current regular alcohol use was smallest for those in the highest education and lowest income category. Further research, which factors in quantity and frequency, is needed to understand how alcohol use among Chinese urban and rural populations impacts their health.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of culture on contributory behaviors within the context of family, friends, and neighbors among the oldest old in the United States and in China. The study was conducted in suburban areas of Boston in 1996 (n = 465), and later in 1999 a replication of the study was conducted by Chinese researchers in urban areas of Shanghai, China (n = 539). This study found some common factors such as objective measure of health status, assistance received from others, and group affiliation. However, many differences emerged in the study. The range of contributory behaviors toward friends is quite different between the two samples. Some of the correlates' impact is also culturally specific, such as sibling support. These differences reflect variation in respondents' social support as well as social structural differences. Findings from this study suggest that providing more Send correspondence to

This study made comparisons of self-reported functional and general health status between Chinese women and men in different age-groups in rural and urban settings and examined multiple factors relating to these health statuses in older adults. This study included a sample of 4017 respondents, aged 55 years and older, from the Hubei subsample of the Chinese National Health Service Survey III in 2003. The results illustrate that the differences in self-rated functional and general health status between genders and between urban and rural areas diminished with age. Access to health care was strongly associated with health status. The quality of the local environment, measured by access to tap water, was a significant factor for rural residents. Our study suggests that improving access to health care services and reducing environmental health risks are critical for improving physical functioning, psychological functioning, and self-rated general health for older adults in China.