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Research Urban and Regional Studies Institute PRC

Inequalities in healthy ageing: the impact of contextual factors

Principal researcher

Dr Eva Kibele

Type of research

Postdoctoral research

Collaboration

HAPS

Summary of the project

The impact of individual-level effects such as demographic factors, lifestyle and behavior on health outcomes has been studied extensively. More recently, health effects of the social and physical environment (contextual factors) have been studied. Most studies in fact show that such contextual factors have, in addition to the individual-level factors, an impact on health, partly also in interaction between the levels. It is, however, not quite clear yet, how contextual factors influence healthy ageing.

This study aims to disentangle how contextual factors influence healthy ageing, after control for and in interaction with individual-level health determinants. A multilevel life course framework will be pursued. Research questions are, among others: What is the impact of contextual conditions on health at different ages? Which changes in the social and physical environment lead to changes in the disease occurrence at old age?

Answering these questions will help to formulate policy recommendations on contextual factors affecting healthy ageing, while this is considered in the light of demographic change and associated changing morbidity and mortality patterns.

Publications

  • Kibele, E.U.B.; Jasilionis, D.; Shkolnikov, V.M. (2013, forthcoming), Widening socioeconomic differences in mortality among men aged 65 years and older in Germany. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 67(5): 453-457, doi:10.1136/jech-2012-201761
  • Kibele, E.U.B. (2012), Regional mortality differences in Germany (Demographic Research Monographs). Springer, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, New York, London.

Last modified:10 May 2021 1.20 p.m.