Introducing the International Spotlight

Articles recently published in The Gerontologist address the growth of the older adult population in the United States and examine the myriad effects of aging on a host of societal experiences. Yet, our journal has not had as much to say about aging in the rest of the world. In fact, since 2009, 15% of our articles focused on aging in countries other than the United States and 21% had authors whose affiliations were not based in the United States. Adapting a global perspective to the study of aging opens the door for rich intellectual discussions that will ultimately improve the quality of life for older people.

The world stands on the brink of a major demographic revolution. In 1990, the International Program Center, Population Division of the U.S. Census Bureau, reported that 26 nations had at least 2 million citizens over the age of 65. By 2008, 38 countries had reached this mark with projections indicating that by 2040, 72 countries will have done so (Kinsella & He, 2009). By 2030, one in every eight people in the world will be aged 65 years or older (National Institute on Aging [NIA], 2007). Moreover, the fastest growing segment of older people in the world is the oldest old, persons aged 80 years and older. Life expectancy in some nations more than doubled during the 20^th century. Not only are the numbers of older people growing worldwide, but within the next 10 years, the world will experience a historical shift in the makeup of our population as people aged 65 years and older will outnumber those under the age of 5 years for the first time ever (U.S. Census Bureau International Population Reports, 2008). These changes, the result of declining birth rates, increasing life expectancy, and modern medicine, will eventually alter the age structure of societies in both developed and developing nations. In 2008, 62% (313 million) of the world’s older population lived in developing countries; by 2040, developing countries will be home to more than 1 billion people aged 65 years and older, 76% of the projected world total (Kinsella & He, 2009).

Population aging represents the triumph of public health, medical advancements, and economic developments that limited life expectancy for thousands of years (Kinsella & He, 2009). It also brings tremendous challenges. Population aging strains social insurance and pension systems and challenges existing models of caregiving and social support. This demographic transition affects economic growth, trade, migration, disease patterns, and fundamental assumptions about growing older (NIA, 2007). It raises questions about the sustainability of families, raises questions about the need for individual and family financial planning, and challenges the ability of local communities and state governments to provide for its older citizens.

These changes will alter much of what we actually know about the aging process. In just a few decades, the loss of health and life due to chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, arthritis, and diabetes, will be greater than losses from infectious diseases, childhood diseases, and accidents (NIA, 2007). How will this major change influence the aging process? Family structures will change as the number of four-generation families will soar and people will have fewer siblings, creating greater need for care within families but fewer persons to provide that care (NIA, 2007). How will family caregivers balance the needs of its old and very old family members? Moreover, families will take a variety of shapes as there will be higher rates of divorce, remarriage, blended and step-family relations, and adults who have never married or are voluntarily childless (NIA, 2007). How will families distribute their dwindling caregiving resources, and who are the people most likely to be left without family caregivers? Patterns of work and retirement will shift as more people spend a larger portion of their lives in retirement, increasingly straining existing health and pension systems. Who will work longer than individuals in the past and who will not? Rising health care costs will test the viability and sustainability of evolving social insurance systems as questions about the “compression of morbidity” and “expansion of morbidity” will continue to challenge us globally as professionals in the field of aging.

These compelling global demographic developments would benefit from an improved understanding of international aging. With this issue of The Gerontologist, we introduce a new feature of our journal entitled “International Spotlight.” Each International Spotlight will feature a different country. Invited authors will be asked to describe the demographics of aging in their country, identify the main areas of research and key researchers, discuss secondary data sets that are available to researchers, pinpoint key public policy issues, and highlight emerging issues likely to influence the aging experience in their country. We hope that these articles will not only enhance our understanding about global aging but also spark international collaborations that ultimately will lead to more sophisticated research and better public policies and practices supporting older people.

As is true for any new venture, we approach this one with caution on a number of fronts. First, the authors of these articles will be carefully selected by our team of editors. In seeking authors, we strive to identify senior gerontological scholars with strong connections to the country and will employ a balanced and scholarly approach when selecting the featured country. We do, however, invite interested readers to contact the Editor-in-Chief and suggest both countries and prospective authors of future International Spotlight pieces. Second, recognizing that politics can influence how aging in a country is both understood and depicted, we encourage our authors to present well-rounded perspectives of aging in their country rather than merely their own views. Third, we recognize that although other publication outlets, such as “Aging International” provide a more comprehensive outlet for understanding world-wide aging, our intent is to whet the appetites of researchers and policymakers, making them more informed about similarities and differences in aging experiences across the world. For readers seeking an excellent historical review of international aging, we suggest the three editions produced by Palmore (1980, 1993) and Palmore, Whittington, and Kunkel (2009). Finally, as is true for all submissions to The Gerontologist, manuscripts will be vetted through our rigorous peer review system.

In this, our first International Spotlight, we highlight Japan. We made this decision both because Japan has the highest proportion of older adults in the world and because the recent earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant disasters occurred within the context of Japan’s status as a “super-aging” society. Future issues will highlight Australia, Israel, Ireland, Chile, and Germany. We hope that the International Spotlight articles will be a rich resource for academics, practitioners, researchers, decision makers, and others involved in the field of aging and that our readers will find the articles filled with pertinent information useful for informing practice, research, and policy regarding aging both in the United States and across the globe.

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