International Comparative Data for Research and Policy on Aging

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International Comparative Data for Research and
Policy on Aging

• James P. Smith

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What Will (Mostly) Determine the Future of the
World?

• The Aging of the Population
• Mortality rates falling
• Birth rates falling
• Work rates falling

• The sky is not falling

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Population Ages 60, Total (Millions)
China
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Percent of Population Age 60
5
Percent of Population Age 60
6
Percent of Population Age 60
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Support Ratios in AsiaPeople 2564/People 65
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What Will (Mostly) Determine Our Future?

• What is the problem with an aging population
• - Provide income and health security during old
  age at affordable budgets

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What Will (Mostly) Determine Our Future?

• What is the problem with an aging population
• same problems in Asia
• - disadvantage- aging more rapidly , at lower
  incomes, and with weak non-familial income and
  health security systems in place
• - advantage- much easier to change systems than
  in Europe and America

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The International Landscape in Comparable Data
Collection

• The USA Health and Retirement Survey - HRS

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Overview of HRS

• Nationally representative longitudinal survey of
  20,000 people age 51 designed to produce
  public use data
• Funded mostly by NIA (and SSA)
• Began in 1992 with the birth cohorts of 1931-41

• Two year periodicity
• Links to administrative recordshealth and
  pension

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Core Content Areas in HRS

• Health
• Physical/psychological self-report, conditions,
  disabilities
• Cognitive testing
• Behaviors (smoking, drinking, exercise)
• Health Services
• Utilization, expenditure, insurance,
  out-of-pocket spending
• Labor Force
• Employment status/history, earnings, disability,
  retirement, type of work
• Economic Status
• Income, wealth, and consumption
• Linkage to pensions, Social Security
  earnings/benefit histories
• Family Structure
• Extended family, proximity, transfers to/from of
  money, time, housing.

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Scientific Productivity of HRSHRS Publications,
1993-2005 Cumulative Count by Type
Cumulative Count June 15, 2005 Journal
Publications 510 Books and Book
Chapters 83 Dissertations
59 Working Papers
326 Total
978

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The International Landscape in Comparable Data
Collection

• HRS
• ELSA (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing)
• Two waves completed (2002, 2004)
• Third wave now in field
• Similar to HRS SES and Health content and breath
  
• Big innovation is biomarkers

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ELSA Design Basics
ELSA W1 12,100 Individuals aged 50 or over
ELSA W2 c.10,800 Nurse Visit
HSE (CVD) 5,053 Nurse visit
HSE (ethnic) 2,227
HSE (respiratory) 4,549 Nurse visit
1998
1999
2001
2002/3
2003
2004/5
2000
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The International Landscape in Comparable Data
Collection

• HRS, ELSA
• SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in
  Europe)
• 14 countries in Europe- more on the horizon
• completed first wave 2004, approved for EU
  funding of second wave now in the field
• Similar instruments to HRS and ELSA
• Big innovation is very strict comparability of
  survey instruments across countries

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The International Landscape in Comparable HRS
Data Collection- on to Asia

• HRS, ELSA, SHARE
• South Korea- finished first wave and data are now
  available- KLoSA-
• Japan- internally funded and now in the field-
  JHRS
• Thailand- partially funded but early stages of
  preparation- HART
• China- large pilot next year- CHARLS
• India- Discussions in India led by team from
  Harvard- ???

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The International Landscape in Comparable HRS
Data Collection- on to Asia

• In every single Asian country multiple
  preliminary visits were made by key members of
  the HRS-ELSA- SHARE team
• To provide all types of assistance on survey
  content, design, and implementation
• To provide continuing support and collaboration
• Some level of NIA funding has been critical

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Comparable Data Collection- individual sample
sizes at baseline

• HRS - 12,654
  -ages 50
• ELSA- 12,100
  -ages 50
• SHARE 22,777 in 11 countries - ages 50
• KLoSA about 11,000 -ages
  45
• Japan- about 10,000 individuals -ages 45-75
• China- about 10,000 individuals ages 45

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Comparable Data Collection- periodicity of surveys

• All Countries have selected two year periodicity

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Comparable Data Collection- Content

• Aim is to have significant comparable content so
  that cross-national studies can be conducted
• But also allow for scientific innovation at the
  country level
• Content also has to reflect reality and policies
  of each country
• Just finished initial meeting in Chiang Mai
  Thailand in February to discuss issues of
  comparability across countries most PIs were
  able to attend

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Comparable Data Collection- Health- biomarkers

• Only ELSA (venous blood) and now HRS (dry blood)
  are doing biomarkers now but many countries are
  planning to do so in future waves
• Performance tests are done by many of the
  surveys- grip strength, walking speed, etc

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Comparable Data Collection- links to pensions and
health records

• All Countries have agreed in principle to do
  these links
• - allows one to study the impact of variation
  in the type of pension and health care system on
• - income security during old age
• - health outcomes and costs

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Comparable Data Collection- DATA Distribution

• All participating countries have committed to
  widespread and quick release of data into the
  public domain both within their country and to
  the international community
• This is a big departure in some countries and HRS
  model helped a great deal

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The International Landscape in Comparable HRS
Data Collection-

• HRS, ELSA, SHARE
• New Asian surveys -South Korea (KLoSA) Japan-
  (JHRS) Thailand (HART) China (CHARLS) India
  (???) and most likely more to come
• Latin America- two round of Mexican (MHAS) survey
  already exist
• Argentina and Chile have expressed interest in
  doing HRS style studies

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HRS Studies Global Coverage
?
?
Mexican HRS (MHAS)
Health and Retirement Study (HRS)
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)
Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe
(SHARE)
Planned Asian HRS studies
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Conclusions

• The American HRS has quickly lead to similar
  types of surveys in almost thirty countries to
  study aging issues around the world
• Small seed investments by NIA have had a very big
  impact
• Gives the opportunity to study effects of health
  and pension systems different than your own
• Produced an international set of scholars in
  demography, economics, and health who are
  collaborating on this research