How does social development influence life expectancy? A geographically weighted regression analysis in China

Objectives This study aimed to examine how social development influenced life expectancy from a spatio-temporal perspective. Study design Data were taken from the China Statistical Yearbooks for 2001 and 2011, which presented results from 2000 to 2010, respectively. Methods A geographically weighted regression method was performed. A total of 31 provinces were treated as units of our analysis, and four social development dimensions were extracted by exploratory factor analysis. Results Generally speaking, healthcare and education development could significantly improve life expectancy. Between 2000 and 2010, the positive effects of social harmony and eco-environment development were gradually increasing. Spatially speaking, the enhancing effect of healthcare development on life expectancy generally declined from south to north China; the improving effect of education development generally declined from southwest China to northeast and northwest China. The geographical distributions of the effects of eco-environment and social harmony development on life expectancy were different between 2000 and 2010; the former declined from the eastern coast to west China in 2000 and declined from northwest to south China in 2010, while the latter first declined from north to southwest China in 2000 and then declined from southwest to northeast China in 2010. Conclusions Because the effects of various social development dimensions on life expectancy vary with time and space, it is necessary to improve certain aspects of social development in specific areas and social stages to efficiently improve life expectancy and population health. (C) 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.