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Hong Kong's immigration history has close interrelatedness with the socioeconomic development in China. One of the immigration history was signified by the One-way permit system, which was first introduced in the 1950s. The One-way permit system is featured as a point-based system to enable the eligible Mainland residents to settle in Hong Kong for the sole purpose of family reunion. Due to a reversal of cross-boundary marriage pattern, the quota of the One-way permits was concomitantly under-utilized. The median age of the One-way permit holders increased in such a way that the holders aged 25-34 and 35-44 increased substantially from 22% in 1998 to 42% in 2016 while there was a sharp cut of One-way permit holders aged 5-14 from 50% in 1998 to 11% in 2016. Apart from the increasing median age, the One-way permit holders predominantly were secondary schoolers. They were economically inactive before moving to Hong Kong but most indicated the interest to work in Hong Kong. The profile appears unattractive to alleviate the labor shortage in Hong Kong. Worse still, the One-way permit system creates the other problems such as the split families, quota misuse by the Mainland officials, and the difficulty of One-way permit holders to integrate into Hong Kong society. A comprehensive population policy entails the departure from the colonial legacy to give the HKSAR government authority to vet and approve the applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Valid and comparable cause of death (COD) statistics are crucial for health policy analyses. Variations in COD assignment across geographical areas are well-documented while socio-institutional factors may affect the process of COD and underlying cause of death (UCD) determination. This study examines the comparability of UCD statistics in Hong Kong and Shanghai, having two political systems within one country, and assesses how socioinstitutional factors influence UCD comparability. Methods: A mixed method was used. Quantitative analyses involved anonymized official mortality records. Mortality rates were analyzed by location of death. To analyze the odds ratio of being assigned to a particular UCD, logistic regressions were performed. Qualitative analyses involved literature reviews and semi-structural interviews with key stakeholders in death registration practices. Thematic analysis was used. Results: Age-standardized death rates from certain immediate conditions (e.g., septicemia, pneumonia, and renal failure) were higher in Hong Kong. Variations in UCD determination may be attributed to preference of location of death, procedures of registering deaths outside hospital, perceptions on the causal chain of COD, implications of the selected UCD for doctors' professional performance, and governance and processes of data quality review. Conclusions: Variations in socio-institutional factors were related to the process of certifying and registering COD in Hong Kong and Shanghai. To improve regional data comparability, health authorities should develop standard procedures for registering deaths outside hospital, provide guidelines and regular training for doctors, develop a unified automated coding system, consolidate a standard procedure for data review and validity checks, and disseminate information concerning both UCD and multiple causes of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the mortality dynamics of the former socialist economies of Europe during their transition era, few studies have examined mortality changes in China since the start of its socialist economic reforms. This article examines mortality trends of Shanghai permanent residents during the transition from planned socialism to state capitalism. The previously steady improvement in life expectancy slowed down between 1992 and 1996. Mortality among young working-age men (ages 20-44) increased, largely due to rising cardiovascular disease and injuries. Transportation deaths increased but not mortality from suicide or liver disease. These unfavourable mortality patterns are linked to reform-associated institutional changes such as weaker social protection, increased unemployment, psychological stress, unsafe transport and hazardous environments. However, the unfavourable effects were moderate and transient due to gradualist reform strategies and strong institutions combined with rapid economic growth. The lessons learned from the Shanghai experience may be useful for other socialist countries wishing to shift to a market economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The aging crisis in Hong Kong is unique in that it was caused by several waves of immigration and emigration, coupled with inadequate investment in tertiary education (Wong, 2013b). The purpose of this paper is to study the causes and outcomes of the Hong Kong aging crisis and, where appropriate, advise on mitigation strategies. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper analyzes the current demographic predicament and makes recommendations. Findings -- A viable method for alleviating this demographic problem is to introduce various immigration schemes; however, these have been rendered futile because of a lack of infrastructure necessary for attracting immigrants and mitigating the protectionism that occurs among local workers and in trade unions in Hong Kong. A purely open and proactive immigration policy should involve prioritizing the admission of professionals and laborers across pillar industries and areas where technical skills are in short supply, as well as setting a daily immigration quota of 50 to recruit professionals with university degrees from abroad (Wong, 2013a). A comprehensive immigration policy should also be complemented by encouraging Hong Kong residents who work overseas to return (Wong, 2013a). Originality/value -- The paper analyzes the demographic predicament of labor shrinkage in Hong Kong and summarizes the recommendations for attracting talent and professionals from abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban China, mortality from injuries has increased over the past five decades. By contrast, life expectancy has continued to increase and has come to nearly equal life expectancy in developed countries. Currently, most of the life expectancy lost due to injury (65%) in urban China would be recovered if injury rates were the same as in countries with low injury-related mortality. Fundamentally, the rising trend in urban injury mortality in China reflects a continued focus on injury treatment rather than prevention in the face of fast socioeconomic development and increasing exposure to risk factors for injury. Despite improved injury prevention legislation and a "Safe Community" campaign, urban China needs to modify its approach to urban injury management and focus on prevention. The gap between urban China and countries with low injury mortality can be closed by means of legislation, strengthened law enforcement and the establishment of safer communities. Risks affecting children and migrants deserve greater attention, and the government needs to allocate more resources to injury prevention, especially to urban areas in the central-west region of China. Based on the population size of urban China, measures for the prevention of injury mortality would save an annual 436.4 million years of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent increasing socioeconomic and political interactions between mainland China and Taiwan have resulted in a significant number of marriages between the two societies. Why do people cross the Strait to look for a marriage partner? What are the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of such marriages? And what impact do these marriages have on society as well as on the individuals involved? These are the issues we explore in this paper. Analyzing a survey on cross-Strait marriages conducted by the authors, this paper concludes that inter-regime marriages between these two societies predominately involve older Taiwanese males and younger mainland females. The general pattern in these marriages represents an exchange between the intrinsic attributes (age, appearance) of the mainland women and the extrinsic attributes (financial status) of the Taiwanese men. In addition, inter-regime marriages provide a means for mainland women to attain geographic and eventually social mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional multistate life table accounting procedures are based on theoretical assumptions that are appropriate primarily for demographic events. Applying these approaches to the area of health care, however, may lead to serious biases given the frequent turnovers of events such as hospitalisation and institutionalization. In addition, traditional approaches have been criticized for failing to capture population heterogeneity. This research introduces a new algorithm to estimate multistate life table indicators regarding health care use, taking advantage of the availability of information on average lengths of stay in hospitals and nursing homes. The survival analysis approach is used to estimate age-specific transition probabilities in order to address the issue of population heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physicians' working life tables are constructed to summarize the New York State physicians' activity patterns. Male physicians could be expected to spend 47.0 years in full-time activity, 65 per cent of their total lifetime. Female physicians could be expected to spend 41.3 years, 53 per cent of their total lifetime, in full-time activity. Full-time activity refers to working 30 hours or more per week in clinical practice, research, teaching, or other professional activity. (AM J Public Health 1985; 75:553-555.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]