Threshold Effects Between Spatial Access to Medical Resources and Life Expectancy: A 19-Year Longitudinal Study in Hong Kong

Research from Southeast University has shed new light on the relationship between medical resource allocation and life expectancy, with a focus on the threshold effects of spatial access to medical resources over a 19-year period in Hong Kong. The study, which has been peer-reviewed, utilized official records from 41 public hospitals and 727,802 valid mortality records to test the link between medical resource accessibility and years of life lost. The results revealed that better access to medical professionals and services is associated with higher life expectancy, with medical services having a stronger effect than medical professionals.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found a positive link between medical resource allocation and life expectancy, with better access to medical professionals and services associated with higher life expectancy.
• The relationships between spatial access to medical resources and life expectancy show non-linear patterns and threshold effects, with varying relationships across different income groups.
• Medical services have a stronger effect on life expectancy than medical professionals, suggesting that increasing access to medical services may have a greater impact on improving life expectancy.
• The study used the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) method to measure spatial access to medical professionals and medical services, providing a robust and accurate measure of accessibility.
• The research highlighted the importance of considering the threshold effects of spatial access to medical resources when allocating medical resources, to improve urban medical resource allocation and protect human health.
• The study's findings provide empirical evidence to improve medical resource allocation and build equitable medical systems and sustainable social development.

Statistics:

• The study used 727,802 valid mortality records in Hong Kong from 2000 to 2018 to test the link between medical resource accessibility and years of life lost.
• The study found that better access to medical professionals and services is associated with higher life expectancy, with a non-linear pattern, and threshold effects observed across different income groups.
• The study's methodology involved using official records from 41 public hospitals and the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) method to measure spatial access to medical professionals and medical services.
• The research provides empirical evidence to improve medical resource allocation and build equitable medical systems and sustainable social development.

Sources:

• Threshold effects between spatial access to medical resources and life expectancy: a 19-year longitudinal study in Hong Kong. Social Science & Medicine, 2025;387:118654.
• Southeast University, School of Architecture, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.