Table of Content

29 May 2021, Volume 45 Issue 3

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Internet and Life of Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities

Du Peng, Han Wenting

2021, 45(3):  3-16. 

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Based on the analysis of the Internet's impact on Chinese older adults' lives, this study discusses how to take advantage of Internet development to bring new opportunities to the national strategy of actively responding to population ageing and enriching the lives of older adults. This study finds that the proportion of Chinese older adults using the Internet is rapidly increasing. However, there are still difficulties in “digital inclusion”—gaps between older adults' ability to adapt to digital life and the speed at which Internet applications penetrate their daily lives. Fostering a digitally inclusive Internet environment and digital life for older adults requires peopleoriented thinking, promoting objective technologies, an inclusive social environment, and the initiative of the older adults. It is a joint effort of government guidance, market initiative, social interaction, family support, and the older adults' participation. The mutual promotion between the Internet and older adults' lives will bring digital dividends to older people.

Analysis Framework, Concept, and Pathways of Digital Divide Governance for Older Adults: From the Perspective of Digital Divide and Knowledge Gap Theory

Lu Jiehua, Wei Xiaodan

2021, 45(3):  17-30. 

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The population ageing combined with the development of digital information makes it more difficult for older people to integrate into the digital life. In this context, it is urgent to build a system to govern the digital divide faced by older adults. An analysis framework was constructed for the governance of the digital gap faced by older adults from the theoretical perspective of the digital gap and knowledge gap. The specific manifestations, root causes, and possible adverse consequences of digital access gap, usage gap, and knowledge gap were analyzed one by one. It was made clear that the governance of the digital divide faced by older adults should be peopleoriented, focusing on both technical efficiency and social benefits. The major concepts should include participatory governance, inclusive governance, allround governance, and sustainable governance. The primary objective is to generally eliminate the digital information threshold, make all older adults enjoy fair development, and comprehensively help them integrate into the digital society. Approaches and strategic ideas for the governance of the digital divide faced by older adults are also further elaborated.

Short Video APP Use and the Life of Mid-age and Older Adults：An Exploratory Study Based on a Social Survey

Jin Yongai, Liu Wenli, Zhao Menghan, Wang Donghui, Hu Wenbo

2021, 45(3):  31-45. 

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China is experiencing rapid population ageing and witnesses a wide spread of information technology. The rise of novel internet technologies may increasingly influence older adults' daily life. Using data from a survey on midage and older adults' short video application use conducted in 2021, this study investigates the relationships between short video app usage and midage and older adults' social networks, commutation with family members and friends, social inclusion and mental health. Results show that the moderate use of short video app increases midage and older adults' communication with families and friends, expands their social networks, and promotes their social inclusion. We should also acknowledge that older people face many problems and risks in the digital era. Findings suggest that collective efforts should be made by government, corporations, local communities as well as families to mitigate agerelated digital divide.

Data Quality of the 7th Population Census and New Developments of China's Population

Zhai Zhenwu, Liu Wenli

2021, 45(3):  46-56. 

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The 7th Population Census has achieved the lowest underreporting rate in history and is therefore a highquality census. The improved quality of the data is not only due to the great social organization and mobilization capacity of the Chinese government, but also closely related to the new measures adopted in this census, including digital data collection, additional channels for respondents to register online, matching and verifying data by using administrative records across multiple sectors, and ID number collection. The 7th Population Census reflects new “changes” in the population, which may improve the knowledge of objective facts about the population. The current population of China is characterized by “a larger total population, a higher proportion of the young and of the elderly, and a lower proportion of the working-age population”.

Declining Number of Births in China: A Decomposition Analysis

Chen Wei, Liu Jinju

2021, 45(3):  57-64. 

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Recent drastic changes in marriage and fertility behaviour had a considerable impact on China's number of births. A decomposition analysis demonstrates that all demographic factors are depressing birth numbers, including the size of reproductiveage women and its age structure, proportion married and marital fertility. The 7th Population Census suggests a more rapid decline in birth numbers.

The New Situation of Labor Force Change in China Based on the 7th Population Census Data

Tong Yufen, Liu Zhili, Gong Qiannan

2021, 45(3):  65-74. 

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Based on the data of the 7th Population Census in China, this paper examines the latest situation of the labor force population, including the trends of size and proportion, the ageing of the structure, the spatial agglomeration and the quality of the labor force, analyzes the challenges for the labor market, and discusses policy implications.

Highly Active Population Movements in China Get Further Confirmation

Cheng Mengyao, Duan Chengrong

2021, 45(3):  75-81. 

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According to the 7th Population Census, the size of the floating population has further grown; the urban attraction to floating population keeps increasing; the floating population has become the leading factor of urban population growth; urban to urban population migration has expanded; the floating population is still highly concentrated to move to the eastern region; population who live in places other than their household registration areas has strikingly increased; the international immigration has steadily grown. In summary, highly active population movements in China get further confirmation.

New Developments of the Ethnic Minority Population in China

Xu Shiying

2021, 45(3):  82-87. 

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Based on data of population censuses in China, this paper briefly describes the development process of the ethnic minority population, discusses the trends and differences in the populations of the ethnic groups in China, and analyzes the characteristics and changes of regional distribution, age structure, mobility, intermarriage and education of the ethnic minorities in China. Combined with the 7th population census bulletin, the paper provides a preliminary judgment on the population situation of China's ethnic minorities in 2020.

The Influence of COVID-19 on Birth Numbers in China

Zhang Cuiling, Li Yue, Yang Wenzhuang, Zhang Xuying

2021, 45(3):  88-96. 

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Based on the analysis of national birth monitoring data, this paper suggests that declining number of births in recent years in China is driven jointly by the reduction of births among women aged below 30, the decrease of first births and the waning growth of the second births. The outbreak of COVID-19 further drastically depressed the number of births among women aged below 30 and reduced the number of first births in the fourth quarter of 2020, resulting in an accelerated decline in the number of births in 2020.

Physical Exercises of Chinese Older Adults and Social Participation：Health Promotion and Network Expansion

Yang Fan, Huang Yingjiao, Wang Fubaihui

2021, 45(3):  97-113. 

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Using data from China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey conducted in 2016, we perform binary logistic regression model to analyze the relationship between physical exercises and social participation of Chinese older adults. The structural equation modeling is used to estimate the mediating effects of subjective and objective health. Results suggest that frequent physical exercises significantly increase the probability of older adults’ social participation. Physical exercises affect social participation in both direct and indirect ways through health. The influence of physical exercises on social participation is different between urban and rural older adults, and is also moderated by age and marital status. This paper confirms the positive effects of physical exercises on older adults, and provides theoretical basis and policy implications for promoting the integrated development of sports and pension, and realizing active ageing and healthy China.

Socio-Economic Status and Patterns of Lifestyle of the Older Adults in China: Convergence at Lower Levels While Divergence at Higher Levels

Zhang Yun, Liang Hong

2021, 45(3):  114-128. 

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By applying latent class model on the data of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study 2018, this paper analyzes the lifestyle patterns and the impacts of socio-economic status on lifestyle patterns among the older adults in China. Results show that the lifestyle patterns of the older adults in China can be divided into 4 types, which could be characterized as “lowstandard”“healthy”“mixed” and “risky” lifestyle, while the “lowstandard” type is the most distinguished lifestyle pattern of the older adults in China. The impacts of socioeconomic status on lifestyle patterns are not only significant by itself but could also change with age with different mechanisms. In the disadvantaged socioeconomic groups of older adults, the beneficial effects of socioeconomic status could be offset by ageing. However, in the advantaged socioeconomic groups of older adults, socioeconomic status could offset the adverse effects of ageing. This phenomenon is interpreted as “convergence at lower levels while divergence at higher levels” in this study. Finally, based on the research findings, this paper provides implications for promoting a healthy lifestyle among the older adults in China.