InHALE

Understanding inequalities in (healthy) life expectancy in later life: An international comparison (InHALE)

Period: September 2019 – September 2022

Source of funding: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)

Partners: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)

Principal investigator: Madelin Gómez-León

Responsible at CNSC: Madelin Gómez-León

Description: 

Population ageing process is a global phenomenon, with individuals living longer than ever before. The trend towards an ageing population coincides with a sustained age, gender and country gap in health conditions, wellbeing, and socially engaged life. These gaps substantially widen at older ages, which might be reinforced by the persistence of the age digital divide.

InHALE will undertake an international comparison between two European countries (Spain and the United Kingdom-UK) and two from Latin America (Chile and Costa Rica) to analyze the gender and country differences in the determinants of (un)healthy ageing, including demographic aspects of ageing as well as contextual factors (country-specific), social engagement, and (digital) connectivity. These aspects are particularly relevant to help support individuals in achieving healthier and socially engaged (face-to-face and digital) lives in old age.

The research will provide an empirical contribution to the limited literature on the study of longevity and healthy ageing in countries with low resources, examining to what extent socio-economic development limit progress in extending (healthy) life expectancy. This examination is also relevant for developed countries in addressing within-country differentials.

Image by Ishan @seefromthesky on Unsplash.