Older Workers and Retirement (PDF: 78KB)
This e-newsletter is the 12th in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Older Workers and Retirement," reviews research sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, and other research, on how individuals make retirement decisions, the quality of these decisions, and their consequences. (June 2008)

Socioeconomic Status and Health Disparities in Old Age (PDF: 68KB)
This e-newsletter is the 11th in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Socioeconomic Status and Health Disparities in Old Age," highlights work by National Institute on Aging-supported researchers and others that aims to understand the underlying causes of persistent disparities between socioeconomic status and health. (June 2008)

Obesity Threatens the Health of Older Europeans
Obesity is a risk-factor for many preventable, highly prevalent, and potentially fatal chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Obese individuals spend about one-third more on health care than similar individuals with normal weight. Obesity has a greater effect on health costs than smoking or problem drinking. The effect of obesity on health in 10 European countries was documented in a recent study from the RAND Corporation using data from the 2004 Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). About one-half of the men and more than one-third of the women ages 50 or older in these countries were overweight or obese. RAND researchers compared the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related health conditions among these older adults in the 10 countries. (June 2008)

Global Aging and the Demographic Divide
In the latter half of the last century, the world's developed nations completed a long process of demographic transition: a shift from a period of high mortality, short lives, and large families to one with a longer life expectancy and far fewer children. This transformation took many centuries in Europe and North America. In developing countries, this demographic transition is certainly underway, though these countries vary widely at their places along the spectrum. (April 2008)

How Older Women Can Shield Themselves From Poverty
Elderly women are highly vulnerable to poverty. On average, they are likely to live 13 or 14 years longer than their male partners. And they are more likely than men to run out of resources in late life. Divorced or separated older women are the most vulnerable, because they have lower incomes and fewer resources. It's a group that will grow in size as the baby boomers age and as more women divorce or separate, said Timothy Smeeding in a presentation at the Population Reference Bureau on Feb. 28, 2008. Also view a 13-minute webcast interview with Professor Smeeding. (March 2008)

Race, Ethnicity, and Where You Live Matters: Recent Findings on Health and Mortality of U.S. Elderly
Over the past 50 years, remarkable improvements in health care and higher incomes have benefited older Americans from all racial and ethnic groups. But significant gaps persist and have even widened among some groups. Americans who are 65 years old today can expect to live another 18.4 years on average, approximately four more years than 65-year-olds could have expected 50 years ago. However, the health advantages gained over the last 50 years have not been the same for all groups. Among all major racial and ethnic groups, African American elderly fare the poorest with respect to mortality and health. (February 2008)

Why Do Older Chinese Face Higher Death Rates in Rural Areas?
Death rates for Chinese ages 50 and older are about 30 percent higher in rural areas than urban ones. Why are rural Chinese at such a disadvantage? According to an article in the Journal of Gerontology, cadre status, which is more common in urban areas, is a powerful determinant of mortality. Chinese adults who are cadres, or public officials who hold responsible or managerial positions in the party and government, had a significantly lower risk of death, according to the article's findings. (February 2008)

Caregiver Health (PDF: 71KB)
This e-newsletter is the 10th in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Caregiver Health," highlights work by National Institute on Aging-supported researchers and others that examines aspects of caregiver health, particularly negative health consequences and what can be done to ease caregiver burden. (December 2007)

Effects of Migration on the Elderly Population in the District of Columbia (PDF: 932KB)
By 2030, the population of the Washington, DC metropolitan area will increase by more than 2 million, and the population age 65 and older will double. But little is known about the current and future characteristics of the older population. Using custom data tabulations from the 2000 Census, this study, conducted by Marlene Lee, senior policy analyst at the Population Reference Bureau, examines the impact of migration on characteristics of the population age 50 and older in 2000. The study was funded by the John Edward Fowler Foundation. (November 2007)

Why Do We Make Bad Decisions? Findings From a New Science (PDF: 68KB)
This e-newsletter is the ninth in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Why Do We Make Bad Decisions? Findings From a New Science," highlights National Institute on Aging-funded research that examines neuroeconomics--the integrated study of decision processes by economists, psychologists, and neuroscientists. Neuroeconomics is barely two decades old, and its practitioners hope to shed light on the aspects of decisionmaking that lead some people to prepare inadequately for their old age. (November 2007)