Suchergebnisse

This is an expanded version of comments on the future of the demography of aging at an invited session of the 2008 annual meeting of the Population Association of America. In an introduction, John Haaga offers reasons for a revival of interest in population aging, including greater realization of plasticity in aging trajectories at both individual and societal levels. Linda Martin proposes that population scientists working in aging emulate those studying fertility and family planning in previous decades, learning from interventions (in this case, aimed at increasing retirement savings and reducing disability at older ages). Changes in family structure will increasingly affect new cohorts of the elderly, and Linda Waite speculates on the ways in which changes in the economy, medicine, and the legal environment could affect the social context for aging. Research on mortality at older ages is "alive and well" asserts James Vaupel, who sets out six large questions on mortality trends and differentials over time and across species. Lastly, Wolfgang Lutz expands the scope of projections, showing the considerable uncertainty about the timing and pace of population aging in the developing world and the effects on future elderly of the increases in educational attainment in much of the world during the second half of the twentieth century.

Intergenerational family relations in China, Japan, and South Korea are changing. Multigenerational coresidence and dominance of patrilineal relations are declining. In some ways, the diffusion of so-called Western values and practices that are in conflict with Confucian ideals parallels the earlier process of the Confucianization of Japan and Korea. The demographic changes that are influencing families are new, however, and East Asians of the future will have fewer but longer-lasting kinship relations. At the same time, population aging and the expected declining role of the family in elder care are causing growing concern among policymakers.

Ideals, traditions, & laws relating to intergenerational family relations in China, Korea, & Japan are reviewed, & changes in behavior, attitudes, & expectations in the postwar period discussed, based on analysis of published data. Three types of relations are highlighted: (1) arrangement of marriage & postnuptial coresidence, (2) living arrangements of the elderly, & (3) contact across household boundaries. It is emphasized that the past was not static, & that Confucian ideals & practices were adopted by most Koreans & Japanese only in the last few centuries. In recent decades, Confucian ideals have been met less frequently in all three societies, & multigenerational coresidence & dominance of patrilineal relations have been declining. Although their political & socioeconomic development has taken different courses, all three societies have experienced declines in fertility & mortality that are leading to fewer but longer kin relationships. 1 Table. AA

Introduction / Samuel H. Preston and Linda G. Martin -- The formal demography of population aging, transfers, and the economic life cycle / Ronald D. Lee -- Retirement and labor force behavior of the elderly / Joseph F. Quinn and Richard V. Burkhauser -- Income, wealth, and intergenerational economic relations of the aged / Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Timothy M. Smeeding -- The elderly and their kin : patterns of availability and access / Douglas A. Wolf -- Care of the elderly : division of labor among the family, market, and state / Beth J. Soldo and Vicki A. Freedman -- Medical demography : interaction of disability dynamics and mortality / Kenneth G. Manton and Eric Stallard -- Socioeconomic differences in adult mortality and health status / Samuel H. Preston and Paul Taubman -- Geographic concentration, migration, and population redistribution among the elderly / Frank D. Bean, George C. Myers, Jacqueline L. Angel, and Omer R. Galle -- Research on the demography of aging in developing countries / Linda G. Martin and Kevin Kinsella.

China has the world's largest oldest‐old population, but information on trends in late‐life disability is lacking. We use data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey for 1998 to 2008 to determine whether prevalence of limitations with physical functions and daily activities has changed recently among the Chinese population aged 80 to 105 and, if so, to investigate the factors associated with the change. We find that prevalence of need for assistance with activities of daily living and inability to independently conduct instrumental activities of daily living declined substantially. Males did not experience improvement in ability to carry out underlying physical functions over the same period, but females did. Variables associated with trends in one or more of these outcomes were adequacy of medical care as a child, childhood hunger, father's occupation in agriculture, main occupation before age 60 in agriculture, adequacy of current medical care, and body weight.