The 'Lucky Few' Reveal the Lifelong Impact of Generation
The often-overlooked generation of the "Lucky Few," those born from 1929 to 1945, exemplifies the connections between generation size and relationships to previous generations. Elwood Carlson, Florida State University professor in sociology of population and author of The Lucky Few: Between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boom, spoke at the Population Reference Bureau's monthly policy seminar on Sept. 10. (September 2008)

Recent Trends in U.S. Mortality and Population Aging
Population aging brings challenges and opportunities, and in the United States, the ratio of workers to elderly is straining the Social Security system. Ron Lee, a professor of demography and economics at the University of California-Berkeley, and director, Center for the Economics and Demography of Aging, talked with PRB about his research on the trends in mortality and aging. View a 20-minute webcast interview with Ron Lee. (September 2008)

U.S. Trends in Disability in Late-Life
Today people live longer than they did even 20 years ago. Longer life spans are a sign of great progress, but questions remain about how well the elderly in our population are able to take care of themselves. Linda Martin, a senior fellow at RAND Corporation and adjunct professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University, talked with PRB about her recent work on trends in the health of older people. View a 26-minute webcast interview with Linda Martin. (September 2008)

Disability, Elderly Health, and Obesity
Vulnerable populations face constraints when making decisions that affect their health status. Jay Bhattacharya, an assistant professor of medicine and a faculty member of the Center for Health Policy and the Center for Primary Care Outcomes Research at Stanford University, talked with PRB about his recent work on disability, obesity, and elderly health. View a 15-minute webcast interview with Jay Battacharya. (August 2008)

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)