Mark Mather
Associate Vice President, U.S. Programs
PROJECT LEADS
Paola Scommegna
Contributing Senior Writer
The Challenge
While more data and information about population aging are available than ever before, it is also difficult for nontechnical audiences to find trustworthy information they can use to make informed policy and program decisions. PRB produces and distributes reports and other materials to provide decisionmakers in government, business, and nonprofit organizations with up-to-date scientific evidence related to the demography and economics of aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
Our Approach
PRB products include the Today’s Research on Aging (TRA) series, feature articles, infographics, and data visualizations.
TRAs are intended to increase awareness of research results and their application to major public and private decisionmaking. By summarizing recent research and the links to major government, business, social, and private issues, we hope to increase appreciation of the scientific findings relevant to aging and Alzheimer’s disease and their effects on individuals and society.
The NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research supports this work through a grant from the University of Michigan Coordinating Center for the NIA Centers on the Demography and Economics of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Related Dementias. This Center coordinates dissemination of findings from the NIA demography centers located in universities across the country.
Impact
- PRB’s award-winning data visualization of state death rates was featured in a congressional briefing to inform policymakers and their staff about key trends in health and life expectancy among older Americans.
- Many policymakers and planners have used PRB’s Today’s Research on Aging reports for decisionmaking, including:
- Maryland Department of Planning and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities.
- Association of Health Care Journalists.
- The Sacramento Area Council of Governments.
- Boston Public Health Commission.
- National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP Policy Institute.
- PRB’s summaries of aging-related research are also regularly featured in the news, including recent articles by AARP Magazine, Baltimore Sun, Bloomberg, CNN, Good Morning America, The Guardian, Hartford Courant, Intelligencer, Texas Public Radio, USA Today, and Vox.
Resources
The Demography of Dementia
Dementia is one of the nation’s most expensive old-age health conditions and the most time consuming for family caregivers.
Older Women Live Longer Than Men
Older women in the United States continue to live longer than men, on average, but they’re spending an increasing share of their later years living with a disability, research suggests.
Aging and Health in China
No other country in the world is experiencing population aging on the same scale as China.
Declines in Adult Death Rates Lag in the U.S. South
Americans are now living longer but declines in adult death rates have not been evenly distributed across states.
