Spatio-Temporal Variation of Longevity Clusters and the Influence of Social Development Level on Lifespan in a Chinese Longevous Area (1982–2010)

Abstract

The study aims to determine the spatial and temporal variation of a longevous region and explore the correlation between longevity and socioeconomic development. Population data at the township level were obtained from the last four population censuses (1982–2010). Five main lifespan indicators and the Human Development Index (HDI) were calculated. Getis-Ord G*, Gravity modeling, and Pearson’s r between lifespan indicators and HDI were applied. In this study, a stable longevous gathering area was discovered in Hechi during different periods. Under the influence of social and economic development, more longevous areas appeared. However, the effects of genetic and natural environmental factors on longevity were always dominant in this remote and mountainous city. Furthermore, longevity indicators lacked any significant correlation with life expectancy. No significant positive correlation was detected between lifespan indicators and HDI. Thus, we conclude that lifespan indicators can determine the spatial distribution and variation pattern of longevity from multiple dimensions. The geographical scope of longevity in Hechi City is gradually expanding, and significant spatial clustering was detected in southwestern, southern, and eastern parts of Hechi. This study also found that social economic development is likely to have a certain impact on new longevous areas, but their role on extreme longevity is not significant.

Disability and Its Influencing Factors among the Elderly in a County, Guangxi Province, China

“…Hechi is a relatively underdeveloped area in Guangxi and the Zhuang people comprise its main ethnicity. The Bama Yao Autonomous County of Hechi is recognized as the “hometown of longevity in the world” and has aroused widespread global interest [ 3 , 4 ]. However, other counties and cities in the Hechi area, which has six “longevity towns,” do not enjoy the same level of popularity (Bama Yao Autonomous County, Donglan County, Fengshan County, Yizhou City, Dahua Yao Autonomous County and Tiane County).…”

The Rural Development Policy in Extremadura (SW Spain): Spatial Location Analysis of Leader Projects

“…It evaluates each entity within the context of neighboring entities and compares the local situation with the overall situation (average investments). In this way, the Getis-Ord G i * statistic reveals the spatial distribution pattern and the approximate spatial aggregation range [38].…”

Understanding the Association between Environmental Factors and Longevity in Hechi, China: A Drinking Water and Soil Quality Perspective

“…Larger proportions of centenarians tended to be located in areas of longevity in southwestern Hechi, including Bama, Donglan and Fengshan counties, especially Bama, than in other areas. However, the socio-economic index (mainly referring to the average GDP per capital) in the Hechi area was comparatively lower than that of other cities in Guangxi [ 35 , 36 ]. In addition, the socio-economic index in the longevity counties in the southwestern area of Hechi was lower than that of other non-longevity counties from 1982 to 2010.…”

“…From 1990 to 2010, Moran’s I values for the centenarian prevalence and longevity index in Hechi were greater than 0.3, with significant spatial autocorrelations. Hechi is located in a relatively remote mountainous area that is isolated from the outside world, suggesting that the natural environment has a significant impact on regional longevity [ 24 , 35 , 36 ]. Within this context, an excellent natural environment is possibly the key contributor to a large elderly population, especially regarding the distribution of centenarians, as reported by many studies on longevity [ 3 , 4 ].…”