Research Design
The descriptive approach in the Aging Population: The Challenges Ahead, the article written by Christensen Kaare et al., systematically and accurately elaborates on life expectancy trends in developed nations. The study indicates that many babies born from 2000 in Germany, the UK, France, Japan, the US, and Canada will reach 100 years. The swiftly increasing population segment in industrialized countries is the oldest-old group aged above 85 years. The research design observed and measured the life longevity variables.
Research Method
Search strategy and selection criteria help in identifying reviews on the aging population in established nations. The article includes studies published not later than 2004 and extracts them from the TRENDS and PubMed.The search terms are life expectancy, mortality, health expectancy, old age, longevity, and the elderly. The Human Mortality Database was vital in including the newest demographic information.
Method of Analysis
The article uses tables, linear regression, and horizontal bar graphs to analyze data. Tables indicated the oldest age with more than 50% birth cohorts alive in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, Canada, and the US. The horizontal bars were Germany’s population pyramids in 1956, 2006, and 2050 projection. Developed nations were focus areas because they had complete health data.
Gerontology Principles Theories
Lowered exposure to carcinogens, early diagnosis of cancer, and therapeutic improvements are causing the life expectancy to rise in developed nations’ population. The active aging theory suggests that older adults in advanced nations are energetic and engage in social interactions. The increasing proportion of people aged 60 years and above engage in part-time jobs requiring them to commit 25 hours per week. The individuals focus on leisure, work, education, and childrearing activities.
Key Findings
Life expectancy in developed nations lengthens linearly with no declination signs. The probability of people aged 80 to 90 years’ survival was 37% for women and 25% for men in 2002. In Japan, six out of ten activities of daily living (ADL) indices had substantial improvement after age adjustment between 1993 and 2002. Germany had 29 persons aged above 65 years in every 100 individuals in 2006. The findings portray that current developed nations’ populations have high life longevity, fewer disabilities, and reduced limitations.
Implications
Governments need to raise age retirements to cope with the aging population’s economic effects in advanced countries. Redistribution of work and income will be even over the ages of life. However, the increasing old-adult population will cause significant health-care structures challenges. The oldest adults heavily depend on social welfare and stable medical provision in advanced countries.
Limitations
Health data exceptional to older adults are inconsistent and few. Moreover, life expectancy projections do not account for future challenges the aging population will face. The article does not account for the oldest group’s susceptibility to illnesses and disabilities. The complex models also assume that life expectancies rise linearly. The journal does not explain the stagnation of life expectancy in countries such as Denmark.
Reflection on the Quality of Research
In my view, the article methodically and precisely expounds on life expectancy trends in advanced nations. The linear regression, horizontal bars, and tables showed best-practice life expectancies and longevity for women in the UK, Germany, the US, Japan, France, and Sweden. Furthermore, the infant and childhood survival improvements led to high life expectation records. The Human Mortality Database was fundamental in including the latest demographic statistics.
Contribution to Academic Knowledge and Applicability
The research notes that advanced nations can modify aging processes in their population. Secondly, people are increasingly living longer and exhibiting less severe disabilities. Three-quarters of babies born in Sweden, Japan, and Spain reach the 75 birthday. Moreover, the mortality of the aged population in Denmark decreased faster than previous projections due to reduced smoking. The findings are useful in curbing challenges associated with aging populations.