The Well-Being of the Elderly in Asia: A Four-Country Comparative Study

by Albert Isaac Hermalin (Editor)

Overview

In the broadest sense, The Well-Being of the Elderly in Asia is a study of social change and of anticipating future social change. It examines the effects on the current and future elderly of the rapid demographic transition that has occurred over much of Asia, accompanied in many countries by equally dramatic social and economic transformations. Policymakers in Asia have been aware of these trends and their potentially deleterious consequences for a decade or more, and have sought to fashion appropriate policies and programs that anticipate and mitigate their effects. Accordingly, any study of the sociodemographic trends and their impact must be examined in the light of policies put in place and under development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780472026500
Publisher:	University of Michigan Press
Publication date:	09/22/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	648
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

During his long and distinguished career, Albert I. Hermalin has devoted himself to the training of demographers from all over the world, to sustained research collaborations with his former students, and to the continued expansion of the boundaries of demography. Former President of the Population Association of America and now Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Michigan, he continues his lifelong research at the University of Michigan's Population Studies Center, a division of the Institute for Social Research. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the MERIT Award from the National Institute on Aging (which helped to fund this book), and the author of several books, including Population Health and Aging: Strengthening the Dialogue between Epidemiology and Demography (with M. Weinstein and M. A. Stoto), published in 2001.

Table of Contents

1 Aging in Asia: Facing the Crossroads 1 Albert I. Hermalin and Lora G Myers The Source and Nature of the Challenges 3 Demographic Responses and Their Limitations 6 Non-Demographic Responses 12 Goals of the Volume 15 Tools and Perspectives 17 History of the Project, Data Collected, and Other Products 18 Impact 21 2 The Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Context of the Four Study Countries 25 John Knodel, Mary Beth Ofstedal, andAlbert I. Hermalin Population Aging and Sociodemographic Change in World Context 26 Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Context of the Four Study Countries 35 Political and Cultural Setting 36 Demographic Change 44 Socioeconomic Change 49 Changing Characteristics of the Elderly 52 Demographic and Social Characteristics of the Sample Elderly 54 Conclusions 59 3 Policies and Programs in Place and under Development 65 Mary Beth Ofstedal, Angelique Chan, Napaporn Chayovan, Yi-Li Chuang, Aurora Perez, Kalyani Mehta, andAlbert I. Hermalin Social Security Retirement Programs 68 Health Care Programs 75 Other Programs and Policies Targeted to the Older Population 85 Conclusions 94 4 Theoretical Perspectives, Measurement Issues, and Related Research 101 Albert I. Hermalin The Demography of Aging 101 Related Disciplines and Their Perspectives 104 The Conceptual Framework 107 Societal Changes and Their Impact on the Elderly 110 The Effect of Population Aging on Economic Development 114 Asian Interests in Research on Aging 119 Measuring and Understanding Living Arrangements 122 Identifying and Measuring Intergenerational Support Dimensions 123 Measuring Work and Leisure 128 The Economic Status of the Elderly 129 Health Status and Health Care Utilization 130 Vulnerable Groups and Their Levels of Disadvantage 131 Cross-Cutting Issues, Transitions, and Policy Recommendations 132 5 Patterns and Determinants of Living Arrangements 143 John Knodel and Mary Beth Ofstedal Measurement Issues 144 Trends in Coresidence 147 General Patterns of Household Composition 149 Coresidence in Relation to Children's Gender and Marital Status 154 Determinants of Living Arrangements 162 Multivariate Results 170 Conclusions 179 6 Intergenerational Support and Transfers 185 Ann Biddlecom, Napaporn Chayovan, and Mary Beth Ofstedal Measurement Issues 187 Background 190 Norms and Attitudes about Family Support 194 Availability of Children and Social Contact 196 Current Flows of Intergenerational Support 197 Conclusions 219 7 Work, Retirement, and Leisure 231 Albert I. Hermalin, Angelique Chan, Ann Biddlecom, and Mary Beth Ofstedal Trend and Levels of Labor Force Participation 237 Modeling the Retirement Process 247 Correlates of Labor Force Participation 251 Attitudes and Preferences Related to Work and Retirement 265 Leisure Activities of the Elderly 275 Conclusions 283 8 Economic Well-Being: Insights from Multiple Measures of Income and Assets 295 Albert I. Hermalin, Ming-Cheng Chang, and Carol Roan Measurement Issues Related to Economic Well-Being 296 Levels of Income in Absolute and Relative Terms 301 Major Sources of Income 306 Factors Affecting Levels of Income 308 Household Income and Indirect Sources of Support 319 Subjective Measures of Economic Well-Being 324 Assets and Home Ownership 327 Changes in Economic Well-Being over Time 344 Conclusions 348 9 Physical and Mental Health of the Elderly 361 Zachary Zimmer, Josefina N. Natividad, Mary Beth Ofstedal, and Hui-Sheng Lin Methodological Issues 362 Health Risk Behaviors 366 Physical Health 371 Emotional and Cognitive Health 385 Self-Assessed Health 388 Conclusions 398 10 Patterns of Health Care Utilization 413 Mary Beth Ofstedal and Josefina N. Natividad Health Insurance Coverage 417 Health-Seeking Behaviors 425 Use of Specific Medical Services 429 Unmet Need for Health Services 450 Conclusions 455 11 The Vulnerable and Their Potential Disadvantages 461 Albert I. Hermalin, Mary Beth Ofstedal, and Kalyani Mehta Methods and Measurement Issues 462 Research Findings 469 Cross-Country Profiles of Relative Risks 486 Multivariate Results 492 Summary of Disadvantages Faced by the Sociodemographic Groups 499 Policy and Programmatic Implications 503 Conclusions 508 12 Capturing Change: Transitions at Older Ages and Cohort Succession 519 Albert I. Hermalin Cohort Succession and Its Implications for Population Aging 521 Transitions over the Later Life Course 532 Conclusions 539 13 Making the Choices: Policies and Research for the Coming Years 543 Albert I. Hermalin Major Findings and Their Implications 544 Anticipating the Future: Demographic, Social, and Economic Trends and Their Interconnections 555 Policy Strategies in an Uncertain World 563 Developing a Research Agenda 574 Looking Backward and Looking Forward 577 Appendix A: Survey Design Information and Methodological Notes 583 Appendix B: Guide to Archived Data 590 Appendix C: Project-Related Publications 592 Index 599