Gender and socioeconomic differences affect a country's ability to support its older adult population. Specifically, the longevity risk associated with females' longer life expectancy entails different needs between genders in old age. In the first project, we aimed to quantify gender differences in the aging experience of OECD countries. Our second project compares differences in projections of disability and chronic diseases among future cohorts of older adults, including disparities by educational attainment. The model projected future chronic diseases and disability trends in Singapore and South Korea from 2020 to 2050. This presentation focuses on gender and socioeconomic differences in aging.
Dr. Cynthia Chen joins the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as visiting scholar with the Asia Health Policy Program during the 2022 winter and spring quarters. She is an Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Her current research focuses on the well-being and older adults, healthcare financing, and the economics of ageing. She is interested in how demographic, economic and social changes can affect the burden of care, financing needs and optimal resource allocation in the future. Her research has been supported by the Singapore’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, the US National Institutes of Aging, and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation among others. To date, she has published more than 45 internationally peer-reviewed journals on societal ageing, the burden of chronic diseases, and cost-effectiveness research. Dr. Chen obtained her Ph.D. in Public Health, Masters and BSc in Statistics from NUS.
