Aging Population : Challenges and Opportunities in a Life Course Perspective

• In most Western countries the mean longevity for both men and women has increased dramatically over the past 100 years. This was first attributable to a reduction in perinatal and child mortality when deliveries became safer and conditions for children more healthy, such as better nutrition. In recent decades another trend is visible, that is, a reduction of the negative impact of chronic disease in midlife and a postponement of life-threatening medical conditions until old age. This is why the mean life expectancy now reaches around 80 years in many developed countries, even if there is still a substantial gap to the shorter life span of many people living in developing countries, but also in the former Soviet Union. To better understand this demographic transition we need to consider the influence of environmental and social factors, as our genetic setup will not change in the shorter time perspective (centuries). On the other hand we also need a deeper understanding of the influence of early life programming on adult health and longevity to fully grasp the shifting demography of human populations, in a life course perspective.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Demography

Early life

Life span

Longevity

Mortality

Populations

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