Experiencing Population Aging Research Articles

Demand Forecasting of Nurse Talents in China Based on the Gray GM (1,1) Model: Model Development Study.

In a global context, the shortage of nursing personnel has emerged as a significant challenge, particularly in countries such as China experiencing population aging. The inadequacy of nursing human resources has become one of the primary threats affecting the quality of health services available to Chinese residents. Therefore, forecasting the demand for nursing personnel has become an important issue. This study presents a Gray GM (1,1) forecasting model for predicting the future 10-year demand for nursing workforce and the number of specialized geriatric nurses, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the development of policies in health care institutions in China. Based on data from the China Statistical Yearbook 2022, the Gray GM (1,1) model was used to predict the demand for nursing jobs and geriatric nurses over the next 10 years (2024-2033). The results indicate that from 2024 to 2033, amidst a continuous growth in the overall population and an increasingly pronounced trend of population aging, the demand for nursing workforce in China, especially for specialized geriatric nurses, is projected to steadily increase. The paper provides a reference basis for the establishment of China's health care workforce system and the involvement of government departments in health care workforce planning.

Assessment of Nutritional Status And Functional Capacity of Rural Elderly Population In Chattogram, Bangladesh

Background: Bangladesh, like many developing countries, is experiencing population ageing. There is inadequate information regarding the prevalence of malnutrition and functional dependency in community-living rural senior residents in this country. The study aims to determine the nutritional status and functional capacity of the rural elderly population of Chattogram District of Bangladesh and to search for its associated factors. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study included 213 subjects aged 60 years and over from two Upazilla of Chattogram district by a multistage random sampling technique. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire, nutritional status was assessed with the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNASF) tool and functional assessment was done using the Modified Barthel self-care index (BSI).Results: The participants’ mean age was 66.1 ± 6.5 years and 51.6 % was female. More than half of the participants (45.4%) were illiterate. The majority of them were living in a joint family with their spouse. About 70% of the participants were from lower socioeconomic classes, 82.2% were not engaged in any vocational activity, 74.6% were entirely dependent economically on others, and 110 (51.6%) had multi- morbidity. The prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition were 29.9% and 56.8% of the study sample, respectively. About 44% of the participants need help to perform their daily activities. Poor nutritional status was significantly more frequent in elderly subjects aged more than 70 years, in respondents living without a partner, and in older people with multi-morbidity. Conclusion: Poor nutritional status was commonly observed among older adults living in rural areas in Chattogram. The associated factors should be further considered for targeting particularly vulnerable individuals. Bangladesh J Medicine 2024; 35: 76-81

Long-term economic implications of Demeny voting: A theoretical analysis

Despite the intense debate over possible correctives to the propensity of contemporary democracies experiencing population aging to favor the elderly, a formal analysis of the long-term economic implications of introducing such correctives is lacking. This paper bridges the gap by modeling intergenerational redistribution policies by the government through a simple overlapping-generations framework with endogenous fertility. An original feature of our model is that the government policy rule is also endogenized because the weight assigned by the government to the well-being of each living cohort in its objective function changes with both the demographic composition of the voting population and the possibility for young adults to exercise their minor children’s voting rights (called Demeny voting). Within this setup, we study the long-term effects of the introduction of Demeny voting on population growth, capital accumulation, output and consumption per capita, and individuals’ lifetime well-being.

Can educational investment mitigate the impact of aging on household leverage ratio?

Population aging is a critical determinant that significantly influences the household leverage ratio. Can the adverse effects of aging be mitigated through enhancements in residents' educational attainment? Drawing on panel data from 52 economies experiencing population aging between 1990 and 2019, this study examines the mechanism by which educational investment influences household leverage ratio. The findings indicate that: Firstly, education investment can partially alleviate the negative impact of population aging on household leverage. Secondly, enhancing residents' educational investment can reduce household debt by increasing savings rates, thereby indirectly lowering the household leverage ratio. Thirdly, while an increase in educational investment may raise labor force participation rates, it also leads to higher pension demands and subsequently increases household leverage. Fourthly, the moderating effect of compulsory basic education is more pronounced in economies that have overcome “Old Before Rich” characteristics; however, for economies still grappling with such characteristics, higher quality education exhibits a significantly superior moderating effect compared to compulsory basic education. Therefore, measures such as improving higher education systems' infrastructure, actively promoting pension contribution system reforms and maintaining sufficient fiscal space will aid in reducing household leverage ratios and mitigating risks associated with household debt.

Analyzing Home Environment Design for the Elderly from the Perspective of Design Psychology

With declining birth rates and extended overall lifespans worldwide, many countries are experiencing population aging. China, has the fastest aging population globally, making the care and support of the elderly a critical concern for the future. In this context, aging in place is the preferred choice for many elderly individuals, and the design of home environments plays a direct role in their physical and psychological well-being. This article, with a focus on healthy aging, addresses the psychological needs and issues commonly encountered by the elderly in their home lives. It employs the principles and methods of design psychology to analyze and research the design of home environments for the elderly. The article proposes key design considerations for improving elderly home environments beyond meeting functional requirements related to aging in place, with the aim of creating more conducive environments for elderly care and placing genuine attention on the psychological well-being of the elderly.

Urban Ageing Welfare Leaking and Remedy Strategies in Macau

The world is experiencing population ageing, which will extend to the future across the world. The ageing population is sure to impact a country’s welfare policy and economy. Macau is a special administrative region (SAR) of China with a long-life expectancy and a decreasing reproduction rate, making the population ageing particularly obvious. This study adopts a mixed methods approach to analyze the relationship between the ageing population, pension recipients, and pension payments to suggest the pension system and welfare leaking strategies of Macau SAR. The Granger causality test and focus group were conducted to test and discuss the ageing population, pension recipients, and pension payments. Results show that the ageing population positively affects pension payments. The ageing recipients are not corresponding to the ageing population and payments show welfare leakage. Suggestions are offered accordingly for a welfare policy to offer remedy strategies and reform the pension system.

Global Deaths Associated with Population Aging - 1990-2019.

Published global and country-specific deaths associated with population aging are based on decomposition methods that have significant limitations. A new decomposition method was developed and its performance was compared with two frequently used methods. The new method was employed to calculate global deaths associated with population aging between 1990 and 2019, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019). Compared to the two frequently-used existing methods, the new decomposition method generated results that are more consistent with logical expectations. Using the new method, the number of global deaths associated with population aging between 1990 and 2019 was 23.3 million. Upper middle-income countries accounted for 43% of global deaths related to population aging. The most deaths associated with population aging occurred from three types of disease: ischemic heart disease (5.0 million), stroke (3.8 million), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2.2 million). China, India, Japan, the United States of America, and Brazil had the largest number of deaths related to population aging. Loss related to population aging was completely or partially counteracted by the reduction in mortality in 195 of the 200 countries and territories experiencing population aging (97.5%). The new decomposition method achieves more justifiable results associated with population aging than existing methods. Globally, population aging was associated with a substantial increase of deaths between 1990 and 2019, but it was totally or partially offset by the reduction in mortality in 97.5% of countries and territories.

Mechanical properties of calcium phosphate reinforced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biocomposite

In the area of bone tissue engineering, the concept of using biomaterials based bone scaffolds in the regeneration of critical size bone defects is a key element to development of alternatives to allogenic and autogolous bone graft. Globally, countries all over the world is experiencing population aging besides other bone defects related case including trauma, pathology and congenital defects. Calcium phosphate (CaP) has received much interest for broad range of bone substitutes since its physicochemical properties can be conveniently tailored with close resemblance to human bone constituents. In this study the mechanical properties of Polyhydroxyalakanoate (PHA)/CaP composite were investigated. CaP was reinforced in PHA in the range from 5 wt% to 30 wt% and the tensile and impact properties of the composite were investigated. The addition of CaP showed fluctuation value in both tensile strength and impact strength starting with drop at approximately three times lower than neat PHA. The maximum tensile stress recorded at 15 wt% of CaP was 7.93 MPa along with elastic modulus of 102.416 MPa while the minimum tensile stress recorded at 30 wt% of CaP was 2.423 MPa with elastic modulus of 49.455 MPa. In parallel, the highest impact strength showed at 15 wt% of CaP was 5.761 kJ/m2 while the lowest mechanical strength recorded at 30 wt% of CaP content. Morphological analysis demonstrates the crack surface of each sample with CaP inclusion in supporting the development of brittleness in nature of biocomposite throughout the inclusion of CaP osteo-filler. Admittedly, the finding of this study will contribute to development of PHA based scaffolds for bone tissue with compromise mechanical properties along with their biological performance identical or similar to that of an ancient graft or transplant upon implantation.

Effect of Dietary Supplement Use on Pregnancy

Quality nutrition is vital for fetal growth and maternal health, because the nutritional status of the fetus is directly affected by the mother’s nutritional intake. A lack of certain nutrients can lead to unfavorable consequences for both the fetus and mother. The intake of nutritional supplements is increasing worldwide. Korea has been experiencing population aging and low birth rate and has shown an increasing interest in nutritional supplements for pregnant women. This review discusses the 5 critical nutrients for pregnant women as determined by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021, namely folic acid, iron, omega-3, vitamin D, and calcium. This review determined the upper safety limits of these nutritional supplements for pregnant women based on previous researches. Obstetricians and other physicians should be consulted regarding the nutritional supplements recommended for pregnant women.

The relationship between individual and environmental factors related to health, nutritional status, and diet in elderly people living alone in Japan.

Aging is an essential milestone that governments worldwide must plan for. At a global level, Japan currently has the highest share of population older than 65 years. Thus, the Japanese experience may be a useful guide to other countries as they consider their policies. Elderly individuals living alone encounter many challenges typically not faced by those living in a multiperson household. Nutrition status and diet are 2 such challenges, both of which are crucial determinants of health and well-being. The health and nutrition statuses as well as some other factors in elderly individuals living alone in Japan were investigated. The identification of the factors relating to food diversity, social relationships, and physical ability, among others, indicates, as hypothesized, that the relationship between individual and environmental factors is associated with the health, nutritional statuses, and diets of elderly people living alone. The findings and approach may be useful to scholars and policy makers in significantly aging societies like Japan as well as other societies experiencing population aging.

Advance Care Planning Preferences in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Community.

(1) Background: Hong Kong is experiencing population aging, but there is little research on advance care planning. This research asks for community-dwelling older adults’ views on advance care planning in order to provide a different angle to the results collected from nursing homes and hospitals. (2) Methods: The targeted respondents were people aged 55 or above. A total of 282 questionnaires were collected using the random sampling method. Respondents were asked whether they would make an advance care plan, whether they would prepare for their death, and whether they had received any death education; they were also given eight statements related to treatments and decision making. (3) Results: The study found that only 17% of the respondents would like to use advance care planning, even after it was explained to them. Advance care planning favorers would be more likely to insist on having wills and would be more likely to trust doctors rather than family members. (4) Conclusions: The results also suggested that the medical care and social support for end-of-life patients should be improved. The results also showed the importance of medical professionals as they showed that respondents wanted advice on end-of-life decision-making from medical professionals.

Socio-Economic Dynamics of Intra-Familial Elder Abuse in Baringo County, Kenya

Until the emergence of policies and legal frameworks to address domestic violence -including intimate partner and child abuse- in the last decades of the 20th century, abuse of the older people had persisted as a private matter that was accorded little public attention. Even so, intra-familial elder abuse (IFEA) has been acknowledged globally as a pervasive problem, associated with overwhelming distinct consequences, outcomes, and societal expenses. With an overall increase in the older persons’ populace, IFEA is expected to become a more pressing issue, affecting masses of older individuals globally. Kenya is experiencing population aging at a high rate, which implies that, with it, elder abuse, and particularly IFEA is anticipated to become a more pressing problem, distressing millions of older individuals countrywide. IFEA refers to as a type of family violence has been defined as a sole or repeated mistreatment and/or abusive action, which can be an act of commission or omission, intentional and unintentional, towards older persons within the family context. The definition, conceptualization, and perceptions of intra-familial elder abuse vary across societies and culture, because, what may be deemed abusive in one society might not be the case in another, thus making the whole issue of elder abuse and particularly IFEA dynamic, with variations across boundaries, religions, economic, and social settings. This study sought to explore the socio-economic dynamics of IFEA in Baringo County. The study objectives were to profile the dominant types of IFEA, to examine the dynamics of IFEA in relation to the associated socio-economic risk factors, and to assess the dynamics associated with reporting and disclosure of IFEA, guided by Homan’s Social Exchange theory. The study embraced a cross-sectional analytical survey design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The study was conducted in Baringo County. The respondents of the study were older persons in the area who were aged 70 years and older; 226 older persons from two purposively sampled sub counties were sampled for the study. The study also targeted key informants including local authorities, health care authorities, adult protection agency representatives and law enforcement. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussion guides were used in data collection. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 to generate both descriptive and inferential statistics such as chi-square tests. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study established that most prevalent form of intra-familial abuse reported in the study was psychological abuse (79.2%) while sexual abuse was the least (19.9%) prevalent type of IFEA. The study found out that gender of the victim, victim dependence and vulnerability, living arrangements, trust relationships, social isolation and financial dependency on the older person influenced the older persons’ experiences with the different types of abuse reported in the study. Based on the reported dynamics of IFEA in relation to reporting, the study concluded that given the right platforms, older persons are more likely to report incidences of abuse. The study concludes that IFEA is a dynamic social problem, which varies across cultural contexts, perceptions, socio-economic risk factors, as well as in its reporting and disclosure. The study recommends education, sensitization, and public awareness campaigns at the community level as preventive strategies aimed at informing members of the society about IFEA, what it constitutes, and how it can be addressed.

Rural Aging during COVID-19: A Case Study of Older Voluntarism

Abstract During large-scale crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the precarity of older people and older volunteers can become exacerbated, especially in under-serviced rural regions and small towns. To understand how the pandemic has affected “older voluntarism”, this article presents a case study of three volunteer-based programs in rural Ontario, Canada. Interviews with 34 volunteers and administrators reveal both challenging and growth-oriented experiences of volunteers and the programs during the first wave of COVID-19. The findings demonstrate the vulnerability and resiliency of older volunteers and the adaptability and uncertainty of programs that rely on older voluntarism, as the community and its older residents navigate pandemic-related changes. The article advances a framework for understanding the pandemic’s impacts on older voluntarism in relation to personal, program, and community dimensions of sustainable rural aging. Further, it explores ways that older volunteers, organizations that depend on them, and communities experiencing population aging can persevere post-pandemic.

Is home bound a major burden towards health access among the elderly population? A community based cross sectional study in the selected northern districts in Tamilnadu

BackgroundThe world population is presently experiencing population aging. About 8% of older Indians were confined to their home or bed. There is need for a strategy to tackle rural elderly home bound with co-morbid with limited number of doctors, nurses, physiotherapist along with shortage of bed in the country. This study was planned to estimate the prevalence of home bound and the associated comorbidities along with the support system and felt need among rural elderly population. MethodologyCross sectional study was conducted in selected northern districts of Tamilnadu in about 7200 elderly population by using multistage sampling. Standardized tools such as WHO geriatric instrument with modifications including Prasad scale of SES, Katz dependency ADL index along with pretested questionnaire, calibrated instruments and detailed examination by trained doctors were used for data collection. ResultsThe proportion of home bound among elderly was 9.8% and was not having access to health. Physical and economical dependency was observed more among home bound elderly along with a social support system. More than three fourth of the home confined felt need for organization for elderly, need for ambulatory services, transport to hospital and need for mobile clinic for elderly. ConclusionProportion of Homebound among elderly were increasing with increasing age group and with increasing co-morbid conditions. There is a need to address the health problem of elderly at their homes, to improve the support system and address their felt needs by developing elderly organizations and ambulatory services.

Older People's Perception of Changes in Their Living Environment after Relocation: A Case Study in Beijing, China.

Beijing has been experiencing population ageing and rapid urbanization processes. Older people’s living environment has changed dramatically. This research aims to understand the older people’s perception of the changes in their living environment, the determinants of age-friendly living environment, and the impact path before and after their relocation in Beijing. The quantitative analysis is based on 353 valid questionnaires collected in four sample communities in Beijing. By using descriptive analysis and structure equation modeling (SEM), the results show that the living environment gets improved after relocation except accessibility to health care facilities. The cultural environment of the communities has significant impacts on the age-friendliness of the living environment. The physical environment of communities is able to improve the living environment indirectly through promoting the community cultural environment. This study sheds light on future research on age-friendly living environment for the ageing population in Beijing.

Investigating Impacts of Telemedicine on Emergency Department Through Decreasing Non-Urgent Patients in Spain

In this paper, a new method is presented to study the impacts of telemedicine on the performance of an emergency department in Spain. Spain's Demographics indicate that this country is experiencing population aging, resulting in overcrowding of emergency departments and significant demand on the healthcare system. However, it has been reported that most patients visiting emergency departments are not in an urgent clinical condition, thus they causing hospital overcrowding, high medical expenses, delays in clinical service delivery and low service efficiency for urgent patients who truly need emergency care. Telemedicine and e-health are considered as solutions for remote delivery of health services to care seekers in order to decrease hospital visits for patients who are in less of an emergency condition. In this study, by using detailed computational modeling and clinical data, we have investigated the impacts of telemedicine on the performance of an emergency department through estimations of Length of Stay as a quantitative index for evaluation of quality of service in the emergency department. Specifically, an agent-based modeling and simulation system was developed and used to study the behavior of the emergency department by taking detailed modeling parameters, including varying the number of non-urgent arrivals as a result of telemedicine, into account as inputs of the model. The inputs were provided through collection and analysis of clinical data that enabled us to predict how telemedicine changes emergency department visits. Our results indicated that emergency departments would experience decreases equal to 41.14% in total Length of Stay if eliminating all non-urgent visits and decreases of up to 10.48% if restricting the non-urgent visits. The developed computational tool in this study and the corresponding results obtained can provide decision makers and health care providers with objective information on the impacts of e-health services on the efficiency of emergency department and they can have also implications for care delivery, optimizing resources, planning, and improving the quality of care.

INTEREST GROUP SESSION—AGING WORKFORCE: WORK AND PRODUCTIVE AGING: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

With much of the world experiencing population aging and a strong need—and desire—among many approaching later life to work longer than past norms, individuals and institutions are experimenting with new ways of working. Yet given the complexities of navigating the work environment in later life, including aspects of cumulative (dis)advantage that help or hinder one’s work prospects, the pull to socially impactful work in the nonprofit sector, and the day-to-day experience of such work in later life, outcomes from this work can vary. Consequently, this symposium will focus on the challenges and opportunities of working longer and their relevance to a productive aging model. The first paper will provide a framework for engaging in the conversation on productive engagement in later life. It will give particular consideration to older workers with lower levels of socioeconomic status in OECD countries. The second paper will discuss results from more than 1,400 surveys of fellows and organizational hosts that have participated in the Encore Fellowships Network, which matches mid- and late-career workers (typically corporate retirees) to non-profit organizations seeking their skills and experience. The third and final paper will reveal findings from an experience sampling methods study of two groups of older adults over the age of 60: founders or leaders of social purpose organizations, and older volunteers. We will conclude by facilitating a discussion on ideas for future scholarship on longer working lives, with particular emphasis on individuals with less advantage as well as those pursuing social purpose work.

ETHNIC DISPARITY IN NUTRITIONAL STATUS: EVIDENCE FROM ECUADOR’S NATIONAL SURVEY OF HEALTH, WELFARE AND AGING (SABE)

Providing effective public services to improve the nutritional status among older adults is pivotal in countries experiencing population aging. Public investment and social policy in Ecuador have focused mainly on standard food-based interventions and cash transference programs. These efforts, however, may be not effective enough to reach those populations that need the most. This study aims to identify those populations that should be targeted by specific interventions. Data were drawn from Ecuador’s Survey of Health, Welfare and Aging (SABE) – 2009, a probability sample of households with at least one person who were 60 years or older in Ecuador. The final sample consisted of 5,235 people who were 60 years or older. Ethnic identity was categorized into four categories: Indigenous People, Mestizo (Mixed of Spanish and Indigenous People), Afro-Ecuadorian/Mulato, and Other. Nutritional status was measured using Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Ordered logistic regression analysis was utilized to assess the association between ethnic identity and nutritional status. Results revealed that the Indigenous ethnicity was significantly associated with worse nutritional status compared to Mestizo and Other even after controlling for a range of covariates including socio-economic status, health related factors, and social support. These findings suggest the existence of underlaying factors hindering the nutritional status of among indigenous older adults in Ecuador. Considering the information revealed by SABE, interventions and other strategies should be targeted and designed specifically accounting for the needs, preferences, and culture of the most vulnerable population.

The association between depression and sexual satisfaction among Malay elderly in Malaysia

BackgroundMalaysia is experiencing population ageing and expects to be an aged nation by 2030. Depression is one of the common disorder among elderly worldwide and the prevalence of depression in Malaysia is expected to increase as a result of population ageing. The association of depression and sexual satisfaction was unclear, particularly among the elderly. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between depression and sexual satisfaction among the Malay elderly population. MethodsOne hundred and nine married community-dwelling elderly (Mean age = 63.23 years old) participated in this cross-sectional study. Hierarchical logistics regression was used to examine the association of depression on sexual satisfaction while controlling for potential confounders. ResultsPrevalence of depression and sexual dissatisfaction were 26.6% and 20.2%, respectively. Depression was significantly associated with sexual satisfaction (P = 0.002; OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.66). Depressed participants were 81% less likely to experience sexual satisfaction compared to those without depression. LimitationsCross-sectional study design assessing the association between depression and sexual satisfaction. ConclusionsFindings from this study suggest that attention should be given to the prevention and treatment of depression among the elderly as a mechanism to improve sexual health.

Domestic elder abuse and associated factors in elderly women in Tehran, Iran.

OBJECTIVESElderly people are often abused in many ways, with serious and lasting consequences. Elder abuse remains one of the most hidden forms of family conflict, and its frequency is anticipated to be rising in many countries that are rapidly experiencing population aging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of domestic elder abuse in elderly women in Tehran, Iran and to identify associated factors.METHODSThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among 260 women aged 60 and over, selected through multistage random sampling. Information on abuse and its risk factors was collected through interviews with the elderly in their homes. In order to measure domestic elder abuse, the validated Domestic Elderly Abuse Questionnaire was used. The ordinal logistic test was used in Stata version 12 to identify factors related to elder abuse.RESULTSOverall, 90.4% of the subjects had experienced at least 1 type of abuse, among which authority deprivation (68.5%) was the most common and rejection (11.2%) the least common. The ordinal logistic analysis showed that the likelihood of experiencing more severe severe abuse was significantly higher in elderly people over 72 than in those aged 60-62 years (odds ratio, 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 4.17).CONCLUSIONSDomestic elder abuse was found to be common in older women. Old age was an important risk factor for domestic elder abuse in elderly women in Tehran. Managing and preventing elder abuse is an important issue that needs to be addressed.