● Cross-Section Study

○ compares people of different chronological ages at the same

measurement period looking for age related differences.
○ It is a snapshot of a particular group of people, at a particular time.
● Longitudinal Study
○ Follows group over a long period of time
○ Baltimore Longitudinal Aging Study
● Demographic Data of the American Elderly
○ The U.S. population in 2016 was slightly more than 323 million people,
and adults age 65 years and older made up 15.2% of the population, an
increase of 0.3% from the previous year
○ Members of the baby boom generation were born from 1946 to 1964 and
include approximately 76 million people. They started turning 65 in 2011.
Since then, approximately 10,000 adults will turn 65 each day until 2029.
○ One’s living arrangement can also have a significant impact on health,
quality of life (QOL), and well-being. In 2015, 70% of men lived with a
spouse, yet only 45% of women lived with a spouse.
○ Approximately 29% of older adults have no retirement savings or pension
plan.
○ Approximately 1.2 million adults aged 65 and older live in nursing
homes—a number that includes only 1% of persons ages 65–74 years
and 10% of persons age 85+.
○ Older adults who become long-term residents of nursing homes will, on
average, spend all their savings and assets within 1 year. In 2017, the
average estimated costs for nursing home care were $235 per day
($85,775 per year) for a shared room.
Biological Changes
● Intrinsic Aging
○ Natural aging process
○ Collagen production decreases
○ Cell turnover slows
○ Influenced by time and genetics
● Extrinsic Aging
○ Outside factors that speed aging process
■ Sun Exposure
■ Smoking
■ Drinking
■ Stress
■ Unhealthy Diet
■ Lack of Sleep
 ■ Lack of Exercise
● Signs of Aging:
○ Hair loss
○ Losing pigment in hair
○ Thinner, drier skin
○ Wrinkles
○ Hollowed Eye Sockets
○ Sunken Cheeks
○ Poor eyesight
○ Arthritis
○ Body fat
○ Erectile Dysfunction
○ Losing Stamina
○ Hearing Loss
○ Hair loss
○ Snoring
● Sex Differences in Aging
○ Premenopausal women have a lower incidence of chronic diseases and
after menopause are at similar risk to men