Healthy life expectancy in India: Comparison by age, gender and rurality

Abstract

Population aging phenomenon is observed in several developed and developing countries around the world, including Canada and India.  The growth in the proportion of older adults has been attributed to the increase in life expectancy, decrease in morality and birth rates.  While these changes have taken place over 100s of years in developed countries such as Canada, several developing countries such as India have experienced this drastic transition within the last 35 years.  To increase the awareness of aging issues and to rise to the challenge of an aging society, World Health Organization and United Nations have introduced the concept of active aging as a health promotion and policy framework.  Considerable research, programs and policies to promote healthy aging are available in developed countries.  Dr. Johnson's program of reserach in Canada includes

1) Studies examining the determinants of healthy aging using epidemiological design,

2) Impact of exercise and nutritin interventions in improving functional capacity and falls using randomized control study design, and

3) Osteoperoisis beliefs and behaviours using survey design.

In developing countries, very few tudies have examined aging and health promotion from a population health perspective and there is a lack of evidence-based and cultural programs and policies to support healthy aging.  This CANADA-HOPE scholarship will provide the research training opportunity in Canada for a junior scholar from a low or middle income country (India in this case) to be able to implement aging and health reserach and to develop long-term collaboration in India.

Research Team

Shanthi Johnson (Principal Investigator)