Abstract
What is already known about this topic? As population aging becomes serious in China, the elderly health problems stand out prominently. The 2-week prevalence of the elderly is rising year by year, but it has been rarely studied for the rural seniors in the central and western China. What is added by this report? The 2-week prevalence rate of rural elderly in the central and western China is 28.5%, and it varies among different ethnic groups. The top prevalence is chronic diseases, and the severity of diseases is higher in female and high age group (80-year-old and over) people. What are the implications for public health practice? Considering the health status, health awareness and ethnic differences of the elderly in the central and western China, medical and health resources should be rationally allocated to prevent and treat chronic diseases and support differentiated health services. This is of great significance for the development of health service plan.