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A Health Profile of Community-Living Nonagenarians in Canada*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Andrew V. Wister  and
Deanna Wanless
Andrew V. Wister*
Affiliation:
Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University
Deanna Wanless
Affiliation:
Alberta Centre on Aging, University of Alberta
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Andrew V. Wister, Ph.D., Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3. ([email protected])
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Abstract

Due to increasing life expectancy over time, persons who live into their nineties, known as nonagenarians, are an important and growing segment of the Canadian population. In 2001, there were 130,325 nonagenarians (compared to 3,795 centenarians), and it is estimated that they will top 400,000 by 2026. This paper provides a health profile and an exploratory analysis of selected social determinants of health for community-living nonagenarians, using the 2001 Canadian Community Health Survey (Statistics Canada, 2003). Perceived health, a selection of prevalent chronic illnesses, and several health behaviours are examined. One dominant pattern is the tendency for male nonagenarians to be in better health than their female counterparts. This finding is consistent with research on centenarians and is discussed in terms of a mortality selection effect. Other key findings include the strength of sense of belonging, income, and physical activity as potential social determinants of health, connected to particular dimensions of health status.

Résumé

Parce que l'espérance de vie ne cesse de s'allonger, le segment démographique des nonagénaires, formé des personnes âgées de 90 ans ou plus, occupe une place grandissante dans la population canadienne. Des 130325 qu'ils étaient en 2001 (en compagnie de 3795 centenaires), les nonagénaires seront plus de 400000 en 2026. L'article fait le point sur la santé de ce segment de la population et il analyse certains déterminants sociaux de la santé des nonagénaires vivant dans la communauté d'après l'Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes de 2001. La santé apparente, certaines maladies chroniques courantes et plusieurs comportements hygiéniques sont examinés. L'un des traits prédominants mis en évidence est celui voulant que les hommes nonagénaires soient en meilleure santé que les femmes du même âge. Cette constatation abonde dans le même sens que la recherche sur les centenaires, et elle est examinée sous l'angle de l'effet de sélection de la mortalité. En outre, il ressort de l'étude que la force du sentiment d'appartenance, le revenu et l'activité physique seraient des déterminants sociaux de la santé reliés à des aspects particuliers de l'état de santé.

Keywords

agingnonagenarianslongevitycommunity livinghealth profilesex differencesvieillissementnonagénaireslongévitévivant dans la communautésantédifférences sexuelles
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , Spring/Printemps 2007 , pp. 1 - 18
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2007

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Footnotes

*

The authors are grateful to the reviewers for their helpful comments.

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