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© 2024. This work is published under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Longevity and old age are two aspects of the same phenomenon, representing a major concern for modern societies. There is universal consensus among scholars about the need for new frameworks and measures to define older people in a more effective and dynamic way. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to compute prospective old-age thresholds (POATs) in six countries characterised by disparate progress in survival. To outline possible strategies to counter population ageing, the paper also examines trends in POAT and disability-free POAT (DF-POAT) in Italy by gender, geographical area, and education. DATA AND METHODS To compute the POAT, we use life tables from the Human Mortality Database (HMD) and the Italian National Institute of Statistics, Istat. In addition, to compute the DF-POAT, data on mortality and health by geographical area and education were retrieved from Istat. RESULTS During the period 1950-2020 the POAT advanced everywhere, albeit in different rhythms by country, gender, and period. However, great differences in POAT and DFPOAT have emerged, depending on place of residence, education, and health. CONCLUSIONS The POAT changes the evaluation of population ageing and could reduce the alarm caused by measures based on static chronological old-age thresholds. Using Italy as a case study, we show that overcoming geographical and social inequalities would counteract the population ageing process. CONTRIBUTION The paper highlights how individual and population ageing is a relative concept, as acknowledged by James W. Vaupel in his studies where he explores the equivalence between ages based on mortality risks.

Details

Title
Ageing and diversity: Inequalities in longevity and health in low-mortality countries
Author
Strozza, Cosmo 1 ; Egidi, Viviana 2 ; Testa, Maria Rita 3 ; Caselli, Graziella 2 

 Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark 
 Department of Statistics, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy 
 Department of Political Science, Luiss University, Rome, Italy 
Pages
347-376
Section
Research Article
Publication year
2024
Publication date
Jan-Jun 2024
Publisher
Max Planck Institut für Demografische Forschung
ISSN
14359871
e-ISSN
23637064
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2973458531
Copyright
© 2024. This work is published under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.