The challenges of human population ageing

Abstract

The 20th century saw an unprecedented increase in average human lifespan as well as a rapid decline in human fertility in many countries of the world. The accompanying worldwide change in demographics of human populations is linked to unanticipated and unprecedented economic, cultural, medical, social, public health and public policy challenges, whose full implications on a societal level are only just beginning to be fully appreciated. Some of these implications are discussed in this commentary, an outcome of Cultures of Health and Ageing, a conference co-sponsored by the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and the Center for Healthy Ageing at UCPH, which took place on 20-21 June 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Questions discussed here include the following: what is driving age-structural change in human populations? how can we create 'age-friendly' societies and promote 'ageing-in-community'? what tools will effectively promote social engagement and prevent social detachment among older individuals? is there a risk that further extension of human lifespan would be a greater burden to the individual and to society than is warranted by the potential benefit of longer life?

Keywords: age-structure; demographics; health span; lifespan; older people; vitality.

Figure 1.

Ageing self-represented with a function-dependent axis and a function-independent quality of life axis. Ageing/time is represented on the horizontal axis, moving unidirectionally from left to right. Ageing transforms the young adult to an old adult and is eventually and inevitably accompanied by functional loss at or near the end of maximum life expectancy. At all ages of adulthood, personal goal setting increases vitality and decreases apathy (represented as the vertical quality of life axis), while lack of goal setting has the opposite effect. Vitality is associated with self-organization, independence, energy, resilience and increasing quality of life. Apathy is associated with low self-esteem, dependence, boredom, lethargy and poor quality of life. Ageing is inevitable, but function- and age-appropriate goal setting enhances quality of life and leads to better psychological outcomes than setting no goals, minimal goals or inappropriate goals.