Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics of the Long-Lived Population in Hubei Province from 1990 to 2020

Abstract

Longevity, especially among centenarians, is an important indicator of healthy aging. Studying the distribution of long-lived populations not only helps to understand the factors that affect lifespan, but also provides a basis for formulating public health policies and optimizing the allocation of medical resources. The article is based on the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh population censuses data of Hubei Province, and uses spatial autocorrelation and standard deviation ellipse methods to explore the spatial aggregation and structural evolution characteristics of the longevity population in counties in Hubei Province from 1990 to 2020. The results show that: (1) the longevity level of the population in Hubei Province continues to improve, but the longevity level of each county and district fluctuates greatly and is unstable between different years. The distribution characteristics of the ultra-octogenarian index are high in the west and low in the east, and the distribution characteristics of the centenarian population ratio are a mixed distribution of high and low areas. (2) The ultra-octogenarian index has significant spatial clustering, with Xiangyang and Yichang cities being the main high high clustering areas, and Huanggang and Wuhan cities being the main low low clustering areas. The spatial clustering of the centenarian population ratio is not significant compared to 2000 and 2010, but it is more evident in 2020. Xiangyang County is the main high high clustering area, while Shiyan City is the main low low clustering area. (3) The standard ellipse deviation of the elderly coefficient and the centenarian population ratio are distributed in a southeast northwest direction, with the center of gravity concentrated in Jingmen City. The standard deviation ellipse and center of gravity of the ultra-octogenarian index gradually shift towards the northwest, while the centenarian population ratio first shifts towards the southwest and then towards the northeast.