Abstract: The scientific identification of the elderly people’s differences in their consciousness of health and behaviors towards health is fundamentally important for the provision of targeted public health services in an aging society. This paper，through a survey of 625 questionnaires collected in Shanghai，has analyzed the different behaviors towards regular physical examinations of the elderly people of different ages，genders，living conditions，social and economic statuses，rural or urban locations，and registered residences. The result shows that differences are obvious among the elderly of various social and economic properties about whether to take regular physical examinations，time intervals，and source of fees. In China’s current market- oriented reform of the healthcare system，the privileged social groups enjoy relatively better healthcare services and protections. In order to generally enhance the level of health among the elderly people and alleviate inequality in healthcare service，the paper recommends that differentiated measures are taken based on income or medical insurance in making policies for free physical examinations.

Key words: the elderly, health stratification, regular physical examination, Shanghai