Applying WHO’s Age-Friendly Communities Framework to a National Survey in China

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO)’s Age-Friendly Community (AFC) initiative has gained worldwide momentum. Yet, measures have not been validated in regions with various levels of socio-economic development. This article used a nationally representative dataset in China to (a) analyze community-level measures within the framework of AFC and (b) compare the age-friendliness between rural and urban settings in China. Chi- square and t-tests examined the rural and urban differences. Results suggest that many AFC concepts did not apply well in developing areas. The Chinese survey measured important environmental aspects in developing regions that were missing in the WHO AFC framework.