Why People Born During World War II are Healthier

Ewijk, Reyn van; Lindeboom, Maarten

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3054480

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A significant contribution of the current study is also to show that the proportion of women reporting ‘no difficulty’ in IADL was highest in the war cohort rather than in baby boomers. Although this result may seem counterintuitive, it is in line with those of a recent study on the association between prenatal exposure to the Second World War and health at the ages of 50–70 years 31. Using data from the SHARE, the authors reported no substantial negative effect of war exposure, and even a better health among exposed women.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Do baby boomers feel healthier than earlier cohorts after retirement age? The Lausanne cohort Lc65+ study

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveDespite the popular belief that baby boomers are ageing in better health than previous generations, limited scientific evidence is available since baby boomers have turned retirement age only recently. This study aimed to compare self-reported health status at ages 65–70 years among three cohorts of older people born before, during and at the end (baby boomers) of the Second World War.DesignRepeated cross-sectional population-based study.SettingCommunity in a region of French-speaking Switzerland.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling older adults who enrolled in the Lausanne cohort 65+ study at ages 65–70 years in 2004 (n=1561), 2009 (n=1489) or 2014 (n=1678).OutcomesNumber of self-reported chronic conditions (from a list of 11) and chronic symptoms (from a list of 11); depressive symptoms; self-rated health (very good, good, average, poor or very poor); fear of disease (not afraid at all, barely afraid, a bit afraid, quite afraid or very afraid); self-perception of ageing; disability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living.ResultsThere was no significant difference between cohorts in the number of self-reported chronic conditions and chronic symptoms as well as the presence of difficulty in basic activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, fear of disease and negative self-perception of ageing. In women only, significant differences between cohorts were observed in self-rated health (p=0.005) and disability in instrumental activities of daily living (p=0.003), but these associations did not remain significant in logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and unhealthy behaviours.ConclusionsDespite important sociodemographic differences between older baby boomers and earlier cohorts, most health indicators did not suggest any trend towards a compression of morbidity. Future studies comparing these three cohorts at more advanced age are required to further investigate whether differences emerge later in life.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Do baby boomers feel healthier than earlier cohorts after retirement age? The Lausanne cohort Lc65+ study

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…3 However, findings from these quasi-experimental studies are not uniform, as a few studies reported no significant association between early health shocks and adult outcomes (e.g., Stanner et al 1997;and Kannisto et al 1997;Lumey et al 2011;Brown and Thomas 2013). Similarly, van Ewijk and Lindeboom (2017) found largely null effects for prenatal cohorts exposed to the adverse effects of World War II in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Early Childhood Health Shocks and Adult Wellbeing: Evidence from Wartime Britain

Schiman

Kaestner

Sasso

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A growing literature argues that early environments affecting childhood health may influence significantly later-life health and socioeconomic status. In this article, we present new evidence on the relationship between infant mortality and later-life outcomes using variation in infant mortality in England and Wales at the onset of World War II. We exploit the variation in infant mortality across birth cohorts and regions to estimate associations between infant mortality and adult outcomes, such as health, disability, and employment. Our findings suggest that exposure to a higher infant mortality environment is significantly associated with higher likelihood of reporting poor health, a higher likelihood of reporting a disability, a lower probability of employment, and a higher probability of reporting no earned income. We also find that the effects of the infant health environment do not become manifest until after age 55.

show abstract

“…This favorable trend may result from differential influences of the Second World War on aging cohorts born before, during, or at the end of the war (22). Whereas prenatal exposure to the war does not seem linked with poorer health in older age (36), adverse events experienced during childhood have broad effects on neural, endocrine, immune, and metabolic physiology in later life (37), and have been linked with increased telomere length, a marker of cellular senescence (38).…”

Section: Physical Performance Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Physical and Cognitive Performance Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Switzerland

Henchoz

Büla

Gunten

et al. 2020

The Journals of Gerontology: Series A

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background With population aging, a key question is whether new cohorts of older people are in better health than previous ones. This study aimed to compare the physical and cognitive performance of community-dwelling older adults assessed at similar age in 2005, 2010, and 2015. Methods This repeated cross-sectional analysis used data from the Lausanne cohort 65+, a three random sample population-based study. Performance of participants aged 66–71 years in 2005 (N = 1,309), 2010 (N = 1,253), and 2015 (N = 1,328) was compared using a battery of six physical and four cognitive tests. Analyses included tests for trend across samples and multivariable linear regression models. Results Adjusted performance in all four timed physical tests (gait speed, Timed Up-and-Go, five times chair stand, and Moberg Picking-Up) improved across samples from 2005 to 2015, by +12.7% (95% confidence interval {CI} +10.5%; +14.9%) to +20.4% (95% CI +17.7%; +23.0%) in females, and by +10.6% (95% CI +8.7%; +12.4%) to +16.7% (95% CI +13.4%; +20.0%) in males. In contrast, grip strength and balance did not improve across samples. Adjusted cognitive performance showed no change in the Trail Making Test, but worsened significantly across samples for the Mini-Mental State Examination, verbal fluency, and the clock drawing test in both females (−1.9% [95% CI −2.7%; −1.1%] to −6.7% [95% CI −8.9%; −4.6%]) and males (−2.5% [95% CI −3.4%; −1.6%] to −8.0% [95% CI −11.1%; −4.9%]). Conclusions Over the last decade, performance of adults aged 66–71 years improved significantly in timed physical tests but worsened in most cognitive measures among later-born samples.

show abstract

Why People Born During World War II are Healthier

Cited by 5 publications

References 38 publications

Do baby boomers feel healthier than earlier cohorts after retirement age? The Lausanne cohort Lc65+ study

Do baby boomers feel healthier than earlier cohorts after retirement age? The Lausanne cohort Lc65+ study

Early Childhood Health Shocks and Adult Wellbeing: Evidence from Wartime Britain

Trends in Physical and Cognitive Performance Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Switzerland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About