Latin America and the Caribbean is ageing rapidly, however the projections may be better than expected

The region is projected to experience a rapid change in its population’s age structure. The proportion of citizens older than 65 will more than double in the next three decades. However, rethinking ageing in terms of health is crucial to inform public policy, argue Diego Wachs (LSE) and Andres Roman Urrestarazu (Stanford University)

Uso del crédito como herramienta para el desarrollo inclusivo: una más medida amplia de inclusión financiera

Este trabajo intenta establecer un vínculo entre la disponibilidad de crédito y la desigualdad. El documento propone una nueva medida de la desigualdad que permite enfocarse en los segmentos más pobres de la población, bajo la hipótesis de que tienen más probabilidades de beneficiarse de mayores niveles de acceso al crédito. El novel del trabajo está en el enfoque más amplio para definir la utilización de crédito. Además de la concepción tradicional de inclusión financiera (medida por el porcentaje de adultos con cuentas bancarias y porcentaje de adultos con préstamos de instituciones financieras formales) el trabajo mira otras fuentes de crédito, incluidos los préstamos de empleadores, prestamistas privados informales, familiares y amigos, así como crédito de negocios. Los resultados de las regresiones apoyan la conjetura de que un mayor acceso al crédito ayuda a reducir la desigualdad. Además, los resultados indican que en todo el mundo, el crédito de fuentes distintas de las instituciones financieras formales también juega un papel muy importante

Dependency ratios in healthy ageing.

Although people are living longer, there is no discernible pattern about the quality of life in an increasing lifespan. This restricts our capacity to predict and prepare for the consequences of population ageing. Accordingly, we propose a population ageing indicator that combines demographic and disability prevalence data through a characteristics approach and explore different scenarios to account for uncertainty in life quality projections. Our results, available for 186 countries, show that countries that rank older under conventional chronological ageing measures may rank younger under our qualitative measure. Additionally, we find substantial differences in our projections depending on different health assumptions, demonstrating the risk of using ageing indicators that make implicit assumptions about health characteristics.This work is the result of a 2018 Ignacio H. Larramendi Research Grant of Fundación MAPFRE. AR-U' work received funding from the Gillings Fellowship in Global Public Health and Autism Research, Grant Award YOG054. JO acknowledges the financial support of Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (formerly, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness), Project ECO2016-76506-C4-3-R

Dependency ratios in healthy ageing

Although people are living longer, there is no discernible pattern about the quality of life in an increasing lifespan. This restricts our capacity to predict and prepare for the consequences of population ageing. Accordingly, we propose a population ageing indicator that combines demographic and disability prevalence data through a characteristics approach and explore different scenarios to account for uncertainty in life quality projections. Our results, available for 186 countries, show that countries that rank older under conventional chronological ageing measures may rank younger under our qualitative measure. Additionally, we find substantial differences in our projections depending on different health assumptions, demonstrating the risk of using ageing indicators that make implicit assumptions about health characteristics

Rethinking the links between social exclusion and transport disadvantage through the lens of social capital

This paper provides a critical review of the progress in understanding the linkages between transport disadvantage and social exclusion. It follows earlier work in proposing social capital as a concept that mediates those linkages but argues that transport researchers must not confine themselves to conceptualisations of social capital as predominantly benign and capable of reducing transport disadvantage and social exclusion. A range of hypothetical pathways is discussed, highlighting the Janus-faced character of social capital as a medium for both the effectuation of progressive social change and the perpetuation and creation of social inequalities. An analysis is provided of the extent to which the recent transport-related literature supports or rejects the hypothesised pathways, and key avenues for future research are identified

Depressed mood in pregnancy: Prevalence and correlates in two Cape Town peri-urban settlements

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The disability associated with depression and its impact on maternal and child health has important implications for public health policy. While the prevalence of postnatal depression is high, there are no prevalence data on antenatal depression in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of depressed mood in pregnancy in Cape Town peri-urban settlements.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study reports on baseline data collected from the Philani Mentor Mothers Project (PMMP), a community-based, cluster-randomized controlled trial on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. The PMMP aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based intervention for preventing and managing illnesses related to HIV, TB, alcohol use and malnutrition in pregnant mothers and their infants. Participants were 1062 pregnant women from Khayelitsha and Mfuleni, Cape Town. Measures included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Derived AUDIT-C, indices for social support with regards to partner and parents, and questions concerning socio-demographics, intimate partner violence, and the current pregnancy. Data were analysed using bivariate analyses followed by logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Depressed mood in pregnancy was reported by 39% of mothers. The strongest predictors of depressed mood were lack of partner support, intimate partner violence, having a household income below R2000 per month, and younger age.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The high prevalence of depressed mood in pregnancy necessitates early screening and intervention in primary health care and antenatal settings for depression. The effectiveness and scalability of community-based interventions for maternal depression must be developed for pregnant women in peri-urban settlements.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00972699">NCT00972699</a>.</p

Latinoamérica y el Caribe están envejeciendo, pero los pronósticos pueden ser mejores de lo esperado

Está previsto que la región experimente un rápido cambio en la estructura de edad de su población. La proporción de ciudadanos mayores de 65 años se duplicará en las próximas tres décadas. Por eso es crucial repensar el envejecimiento en términos de salud a la hora de formular políticas públicas, sostienen Diego Wachs (LSE) y Andres Roman Urrestarazu (Universidad de Stanford)

Dependency ratios in healthy ageing

Although people are living longer, there is no discernible pattern about the quality of life in an increasing lifespan. This restricts our capacity to predict and prepare for the consequences of population ageing. Accordingly, we propose a population ageing indicator that combines demographic and disability prevalence data through a characteristics approach and explore different scenarios to account for uncertainty in life quality projections. Our results, available for 186 countries, show that countries that rank older under conventional chronological ageing measures may rank younger under our qualitative measure. Additionally, we find substantial differences in our projections depending on different health assumptions, demonstrating the risk of using ageing indicators that make implicit assumptions about health characteristics