Trends in Older Adults' Health in 21st-Century England: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Jiawei Wu , Shanghai University
Karen Glaser, King's College London
Debora Price, University of Manchester
Giorgio Di Gessa, University College London

Understanding whether successive cohorts of older people are healthier or not is vital for policies related to healthy ageing, employment, retirement, and long-term care, but evidence to date remains mixed, depending on which domains of health are examined and the countries/contexts. Our study adds to the 'generational health drift' literature by using data from waves 2 (2004/05), 6 (2012/13), and 11 (2023/24) of the nationally representative English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) to directly compare older adults' health (physical functioning, pain, doctor-diagnosed chronic conditions, mental and psychological well-being, cognition, biomarkers, etc.) measured at the same age across three time points spanning nearly 20 years. We estimated modified Poisson models or OLS models regressing health outcomes on time (i.e., waves) and adjusted for age group, gender, education, and wealth quintiles and further explored interaction between time and age group. Overall, we found mixed results. For the general 50+ population in England over two decades, we saw worsening hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, CVDs, arthritis, any pain, moderate/severe pain, depressive symptomatology, osteoporosis, arthritis, and quality of life. However, there was little change in limiting long-standing illness, ADLs/IADLs, lung disease, and cancer despite improvements in mobility impairments and memory scores (no change in orientation). Furthermore, while some physical functioning indicators improved among the younger-old to 2012/13 and then stabilised, indicators of cardio-metabolic disease, pain, and mental distress have worsened, especially among those in midlife and early old age. We discuss the implications for employment, healthcare policies, and social care systems.

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 Presented in Session 33. Aging, Frailty and the Dynamics of Later-Life Health