The effects of socioeconomic globalization on health and aging in highlanders compared to lowlanders in Yunnan, China, and Kochi, Japan

• Published in: Ecological research 2011-11, Vol.26 (6), p.1027-1038
• Main Authors: Okumiya, Kiyohito, Ishine, Masayuki, Kasahara, Yoriko, Wada, Taizo, Sakamoto, Ryota, Kosaka, Yasuyuki, Ishimoto, Yasuko, Hirosaki, Mayumi, Kimura, Yumi, Fujisawa, Michiko, Otsuka, Kuniaki, Tan, Xiaoxia, Zhang, Hai, Zhao, Haijuan, Er, Wu Ni, Yin, Shaoting, Matsubayashi, Kozo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Altitude; Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Comparative studies; Comprehensive geriatric assessment; Diabetes mellitus; Ecology; Economics; Environmental degradation; Evolutionary Biology; Forestry; Geriatrics; Globalization; Highlander; Hypertension; Immigration; Life Sciences; Longevity; Market economies; Neurotoxicity; Obesity; Older people; Plant Sciences; Quality of life; Rural areas; Socio-economic aspects; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Socio‐economic globalization; Special Feature; Urban areas; Urbanization; Zoology
• ISSN: 0912-3814; 1440-1703
• DOI: 10.1007/s11284-010-0784-1

In highland areas worldwide, socioeconomic globalization is progressing urbanization and environmental destruction. Urbanization is caused by socioeconomic globalization of development of transportation, movement or immigration of people, and prevailing market economy. Lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, are increasing worldwide with greater longevity and changes in lifestyles. Highland areas may also be affected by globalization and the people living there may be especially vulnerable. Our objective was to disclose the features of lifestyle-related diseases and the human aging phenomena of highland people affected by their increasingly urbanized lifestyles by undertaking a detailed geriatric assessment. Our assessment included firstly comparing the prevalence of hypertension and neurobehavioral functions in community-dwelling Tibetan elderly in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China (altitude 3,300 m) with Thai elderly in the city of Jing Hong, Yunnan, China (altitude 500 m) and Japanese in Tosa, Kochi, Japan (altitude 300 m). Secondly, differences in the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and neurobehavioral function were analyzed between people in an urban area, Jiang Tang, and rural areas and in association with their economic status in Nish in Shangri-la. High prevalences of lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension and obesity were shown in highlanders, especially those in an urban area. Geriatric functional ability was associated with economic status. Notwithstanding a higher prevalence of physical disorders and lowered functional abilities, a higher quantitative quality of life was found in Shangri-la than in Tosa. We concluded that highland-dwelling people were vulnerable and susceptible to lifestyle-related diseases resulting from socioeconomic globalization.