China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Paid Family Caregiving: A Review of Progress and Policies
Published in Scott A. Bass, Robert Morris, International Perspectives on State and Family Support for the Elderly, 2013
A dramatic increase in life expectancy in the United States has taken place from the years 1900 to 1992. In 1900, the average life expectancy at birth for a male was 46 years and for a female it was 49 years. Now, life expectancy is about 72 years for males and 79 years for females (Social Security Administration, 1989). This increase in life expectancy coupled with other social and demographic trends such as lower birth rates and technological advances in medicine has led to a great increase in the elderly population. In the years between 1915 and 1990, the birth rate dropped from 25 births per 1,000 persons to 14.9 births. Projections suggest that the birth rate will continue to decline, reaching 13.5 in 1995 and 12.6 in the year 2000 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990). An exception to the decrease in birth rates occurred during the years 1946 to 1964. During this period, some 76 million Americans were born, creating what is now commonly known as the “baby boom” (Pifer & Bronte, 1986). This greatly affects dependency ratios (dependent young and older persons to the number of working persons). As the number of older persons continues to increase disproportionally in relation to the number of working persons, there will be growing problems of how to support our growing elderly population.
Medical Tourism And Well-Being: Trends and Strategies
Published in Frederick J. DeMicco, Ali A. Poorani, Medical Travel Brand Management, 2023
Frederick J. DeMicco, M. Cetron, O. Davies
High dependency ratios change the way economies perform. Savings translate to investments that promote growth and, because more money is available to those wishing to borrow, keep interest rates low. Retirees, on average, begin spending what they have saved, so interest rates go up and economic growth declines. Housing prices also go down; one study of 10 countries found that they had sunk, in real terms, by 0.2% per year as the ratio of seniors to working-age adults rose. One more likely effect is a shift in consumption from goods to healthcare services. This is particularly true when the elderly population is comparatively large, producing a high “old-age dependency ratio.”
Health in later life
Published in Liam J. Donaldson, Paul D. Rutter, Donaldsons' Essential Public Health, 2017
Liam J. Donaldson, Paul D. Rutter
An important demographic indicator of societal support is the older dependency ratio. This is the number of people 65 years and over per 100 people aged 20–64 years. Japan and some western European countries have the highest ratios. An older dependency ratio above 30 means that fewer than three working-age adults support (notionally, not literally) one adult aged 65 years and over. This statistic is not as universally accepted as it once was; for example, it rigidly implies that all people 65 years and over do not work and need support, while all adults aged 20–64 years do work and provide support to older members of society.
Willingness to pay for cataract surgery is much lower than actual costs in Zamfara state, northern Nigeria
Published in Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 2018
Nazaradden Ibrahim, Jacqueline Ramke, Francisco Pozo-Martin, Clare E. Gilbert
These findings highlight the need for more qualitative research to capture the nuances of household decision-making and health-seeking behaviour,19,27 particularly given the context of an aging population and increasing dependency ratios. For example, analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study, in which blind people were ranked amongst the most dependent, compared the number of dependent people of all ages to the number of people of working age (the dependency ratio).28 In all regions, the dependency ratio is predicted to increase between 2000 and 2050, reaching 14% in China, 12% in India, and 11% in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050.28 The implication of increasing dependency is that those of working age will face a greater burden in caring for their dependents, placing competing demands on their limited resources for eye care. Further research is also needed to assess the impact of different financing mechanisms on equity in access to cataract surgery and how negative impacts on equity of access might be mitigated.29