Health Inequality: the Rural-Urban Perspective in China

Abstract

Rural-urban health inequality has long been a worrying issue in Chinese society. Manifested in indicators, including lifespan disparity, high risk of specific diseases, and worse physical fitness condition, health inequality has significantly hindered the achievement of equity and social justice. This research therefore studies the health inequality between rural and urban populations in China by analyzing the macro-level and micro-level factors contributing to this socioeconomic issue. By applying the qualitative research method, the study examines how these factors contribute to health inequality. For the macro-factors, including external determinants like unequal Medicare policies and disparities in infrastructure development, key findings indicate that rural residents suffer from inadequate medical resources, higher healthcare costs, and greater exposure to environmental pollutants. For the micro-factors, the research reveals lower personal income, lack of awareness of the disease syndrome and type, cultural cognition differences, and age differences lead rural area individuals to utilize medical resources ineffectively. In the end, the study provides insightful suggestion, corresponding to each factor analyzed, on future reforms and policies to mitigate health disparity between rural and urban populations.