Active life expectancy and functional limitations among older Cambodians: Results from a 2004 survey

This study’s aims are to: (1) determine the prevalence of functional limitations among older adults in Cambodia using activities of daily living (ADLs); (2) compare limitation prevalence with other countries in the region; (3) estimate active life expectancy; (4) examine standard correlates of functional status and assess whether they are associated with limitation in expected ways. Elderly Cambodians appear more likely to report limitations than their counterparts in neighboring countries. A contribution of the analysis is the examination of a basic measure of health among a population that until recently has been isolated from the rest of the world

Shifts in coresidence among the oldest-old in China: comparing decedents and survivors

Working PaperWhat we know about transitions in coresidence of older adults in China is based upon panel data involving survivors. This paper examines the tendency to shift and determinants of shifts in coresidence with adult children among very old, comparing survivors of an inter-survey period with decedents. Data come from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey covering the period 1998-2005

Active life expectancy and functional limitations among older Cambodians: results from a 2004 survey

Journal ArticleThis study's aims are to: 1) determine the prevalence of functional limitations among older adults in Cambodia using activities of daily living (ADLs); 2) compare limitation prevalence with other countries in the region; 3) estimate active life expectancy; 4) examine standard correlates of functional status and assess whether they are associated with limitation in expected ways. ADLs included here are bathing, dressing, eating, and getting up from lying down. Degree of difficulty is used to determine whether limitations are moderate or severe. Results are generally consistent with expectations. For example, women live longer than men but spend a greater proportion of life with limitations, and older age is related to higher rates of limitation and less active life. Elderly Cambodians appear more likely to report limitations than their counterparts in neighboring countries. A contribution of the analysis is the examination of a basic measure of health among a population that until recently has been isolated from the rest of the world

Disability and active life expectancy among older Cambodians

Journal ArticleOlder adults in Cambodia are survivors of harsh living conditions, including poverty and periods of extreme violence. Although these experiences may affect health outcomes, little data has existed to monitor Cambodia's older population. The current paper uses data from the 2004 Study of the Elderly in Cambodia (SEC) and focuses on disability status. The data is the first of its kind for Cambodia*a comprehensive survey employing a representative sample of adults 60 and older living across the country. Disability prevalence by age and sex, Active Life Expectancy (ALE) and common correlates of disability, using Activity of Daily Living (ADL) items, are examined. In addition, disability prevalence rates are compared to those for older adults living in other countries in South-east Asia. The results indicate that older Cambodians are more disabled than their counterparts living elsewhere. Possible reasons include long-term influence of social disruption and poverty. Women live longer than men, but spend a greater proportion of their remaining life in states of disability and severe disability. Correlates of disability show that younger age, being male, having higher income satisfaction, being married and living in urban areas associate with lower probabilities of reporting disability. A contribution of the analysis is the examination of a basic measure of health among a population of which little is known

Number of children and proximate residence among older adults in the context of population aging: a comparative analysis of six societies in the Asia-Pacific region

Working PaperPopulation aging, occurring concurrently with social and economic change, has the potential to dismantle traditional support structures for older adults in the Asia-Pacific region. An example is the traditional system of living with an adult child, which may be threatened by smaller families and more mobile populations. The following study examines the probability that an adult aged 65 and older, living in one of six Asian societies, lives with or near an adult child, and how this fluctuates by number of children, rural/urban residence, and additional covariates that relate to the material and physical needs. Results show positive associations between number of children and proximate residence, but varying results with co-residence. Virtually no association with co-residence is found in China, non-linear associations are found in Cambodia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and a linear association is found in Singapore. At the same time, rates of co- and near-residence remain high, particularly in rural areas. Findings indicate the importance of considering both near and co-residence when examining proximate living. Conclusions suggest ambiguity with potential decline in support facilitated by changes in living arrangements. While more children increases chances of proximate living, probabilities of living near a child remain high for all, with the possible exception of those with only one living child

Gray agendas: interest groups and public pensions in Canada, Britain, and the United States, by Henry J. Pratt

ReviewGray Agendas, by Wayne State University's Henry J. Pratt, is an in-depth and well-structured examination of the historical development of pension policy and its impact on interest groups in three countries over the last century: Canada, Britain, and the United States. It is of interest to political scientists, sociologists, historians, and public policy analysts interested in aging. The book provides detailed analyses of the changing nature of age-active interest groups over time, inspects factors contributing to the growth and decline of specific groups, and refers often to the individuals who were vital to their formation and survival. Considering the past and present growth of the elderly population in Western countries and the increase in the number and influence of age-active interest groups, it is a timely work. The topic is also important considering the rapid changes to old age policy that have occurred over the last several decades in many Western nations. As the author notes, the change has been unidirectional, toward the enlargement of service and increases in budget allocations

HIV/AIDS and the living arrangements of older persons across the Sub-Saharan African region

Working PaperABSTRACT: Older adults in sub-Saharan Africa face harsh living conditions including severe poverty and an HIV/AIDS epidemic that results in unprecedented rates of mortality. Yet, because of a lack of available data and only a trickle of past studies, the impact of these conditions on living circumstances and subsequent quality of life is unclear. By reducing the availability of children and by increasing grand-parenting obligations, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, in particular, has been hypothesized to have impacts on living arrangements. This study utilizes cross-sectional and longitudinal Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from sub-Saharan African countries that are characterized by differing levels of severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Individual level data is examined to assess regional living arrangement distributions. National level data from twenty-two countries is examined to tests hypotheses that the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS epidemic relates to being more or less likely to live with children and grandchildren, and more or less likely to live in specific types of arrangements, like in a skipped generation household. Longitudinal data from nine countries is used to test whether changes in these types of arrangements are more or less common where rates of HIV prevalence have been higher. Despite a small number of observations points, several fairly robust associations are found. For instance, older adults living in countries that have had a high accumulation of AIDS-related deaths are much more likely to live with a double-orphaned grandchild, while the average annual increase in the percent living with a double-orphaned grandchild over a decade or so is much higher in countries that have had higher AIDS prevalence. Although there are several possible explanations for these associations, they are consistent with hypotheses related to the loss of availability of children and the increase in grand-parenting obligations that accompany a severe HIV/AIDS epidemic. Results suggest that the AIDS epidemic could be negatively impacting quality of life for older adults in the region

Older persons' AIDS knowledge and willingness to provide care in an impoverished nation: evidence from Cambodia

Journal ArticleSince the beginning of the global pandemic, assessing knowledge and attitudes regarding AIDS has been an important subject of research and for good reasons. Given the unusual features of HIV/AIDS, there is considerable potential for misunderstanding important aspects of the disease that could affect both behaviours related to risk exposure, as well as reactions to those known or believed to have contracted HIV. Most research on knowledge and attitudes has focused on young or prime aged adults

Differentials in life expectancy and active life expectancy by socioeconomic status among older adults in Beijing

Journal ArticleThe study compares estimates of life expectancy and active life expectancy across indicators of socioeconomic status for a cohort of older adults in Beijing Municipality. Our aim is to determine whether associations found are consistent across indicators and with those typically observed in Western industrialized countries. A multistate life table method is used to estimate expected years of total and active life, defined as life spent without limitation in functions necessary for performing daily tasks. We find that men of higher status experience advantages with respect to life and active life expectancies. Among women, only active life expectancy is significantly greater for those of higher status, but the difference by income is not statistically significant. With respect to the proportion of life spent in an active state, both men and women of higher status benefit in comparison to their lower status counterparts. Finally, we find that disparities by socioeconomic status generally increase with age. Despite several inconsistencies across socioeconomic status indicators by sex, findings generally confirm inequalities within a society that is organized very differently socially, economically, and politically from countries in the West

Accounting for urban versus rural discrepancies in mortality and functional health among older adults in China

Working PaperBroad differences exist in social and economic life between residents living in urban versus rural areas of China. To study the health implications of these differences, the current study employs data from a longitudinal study of older adults in the Beijing municipality, a region of China that has witnessed very rapid socio-economic growth coupled with widening rural/urban gaps in development and health service provision. Life expectancy and active life expectancy, the latter referring to expected years in a functionally healthy state, is estimated for rural and urban samples in a two-step process that involves first, the estimation of hazard rates considering transitions in functional health and mortality and next, the conversion of these rates into transition probabilities for the construction of multi-state life-tables. Estimates reveal a distinct urban advantage in both mortality and functional health. At age 55, urban elders live about 4½ years longer and 5½ more functionally active years than do their rural counterparts, and an advantage is maintained with increasing age. Covariates representing five domains are considered to determine factors that underlie the urban advantage. Socioeconomic status and access to health service indicators account for a good deal of the association, social support and health behaviors account for very little, while chronic disease acts as a suppressor. The results have obvious policy implications regarding the need for increasing education, better work opportunities, wider insurance coverage and easier access to health facilities for rural residents of China