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Measurement of Social Factors in Aging Research

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The Epidemiology of Aging

Abstract

This chapter presents measurement and methodological issues regarding four social factors that are important in epidemiologic research on aging. These factors are socioeconomic status (income, education and occupation), living arrangement, caregiving status and widowhood. They were selected because they influence health outcomes in older adults. These factors may be dynamic over the life course, particularly during old age, which has implications for their measurement, study design, and interpretation of associations with health outcomes. In this chapter we also reviewed five general measurement and methodological issues that are common to these factors: consideration of the factor from a life-course perspective, cohort effects, influence of prior health status, changes in the factor over time, and choice of comparison groups. For each factor, we present data to illustrate its importance in epidemiologic studies of older populations, describe different approaches to its measurement and their advantages and limitations, summarize its associations with health outcomes, and discuss implications of measurement and methodological decisions. We also address specific methodologic issues such as study design, sampling, and confounding that are unique to individual factors.

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Abbreviations

ADL:

Activities of Daily Living

IADL:

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

Il-6:

Interleukin-6

LSOA:

Longitudinal Study of Aging

SES:

Socioeconomic Status

SOF:

Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

US:

United States

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, TE-330, Boston, MA, 02118, USA

    Lisa Fredman Ph.D. & Jennifer Lyons MPH

Authors
  1. Lisa Fredman Ph.D.
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  2. Jennifer Lyons MPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa Fredman Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, A527 Crabtree Hall, DeSoto Street 130, Pittsburgh, 15261, Pennsylvania, USA

    Anne B. Newman

  2. Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, DeSoto Street, A510 Crabtree 130, Pittsburgh, 15261, Pennsylvania, USA

    Jane A. Cauley

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Fredman, L., Lyons, J. (2012). Measurement of Social Factors in Aging Research. In: Newman, A., Cauley, J. (eds) The Epidemiology of Aging. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5061-6_9

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