This study examined the impact of social support and of temporal and social comparisons on well-being and selfreported health in four capital cities: Paris, Berlin, Moscow and Beijing. Based on the lifespan control theory, an
integrative model investigating the influence of these coping strategies, especially on the psychological regulation of
health losses, was tested on 1141 respondents aged 45 to 70 years by using structural equation modelling with
multigroup comparisons. Results indicated a good fit of the model to participants' responses. In all contexts, physical
weaknesses favoured the use of social and temporal comparison strategies rather than social support. Moreover,
across the cities, coping strategies were oriented more toward protecting self-evaluation of health than toward
enhancement of well-being. Social comparison decreased the impact of physical weaknesses on health evaluation
and on well-being in the four cities, but to a lesser extent in China. Results are discussed regarding the normative
cross-cultural aspects that intervene during ageing in the four urban contexts.