Healthy Aging CORE Research Spotlight - February 2023

Research Spotlight: 2021 Census

Every five years Statistics Canada conducts a Census of the Population in order to collect statistical data on the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of Canadians. Subjects covered by the census include demographics, education, families and households, housing, income, labour, occupations, Indigenous people, language, and immigration and ethnocultural diversity. All Canadian households receive a short questionnaire and one in four households also receive a longer questionnaire. The data collected from the census is used to support planning, decision-making, and program development by federal, provincial and municipal governments; public, non-profit, and community organizations; and the private sector.

Data and analyses from the most recent census (2021) is being released over 2022 and 2023. You can find all of the currently available public data from the census here. Interested in finding census information about your community? You can find census profiles for provinces, territories, and communities here.

Below is a list of some articles from Statistics Canada that summarize key findings from the 2021 census relevant to healthy aging:  

• A portrait of Canada’s growing population aged 85 and older from the 2021 Census
• A generational portrait of Canada’s aging population from the 2021 Census
• Indigenous population continues to grow and is much younger than the non-Indigenous population, although the pace of growth has slowed
• To buy or to rent: The housing market continues to be reshaped by several factors as Canadians search for an affordable place to call home
• Pandemic benefits cushion losses for low income earners and narrow income inequality – after-tax income grows across Canada except in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador

New Research Reports on CORE

• Understanding a Changing Older Workforce: An Examination of Workers Ages 40-Plus [AARP][LK1] 
• Perspectives on Growing Older in Canada: The 2022 NIA Ageing in Canada Survey [NIA]

New Statistics Canada Data

Study: Well-being and caregiving

The sixth cycle of the Canadian Social Survey focused on well-being and caregiving. The survey found that in 2022, more than half of women aged 15 and older (52% or almost 8.4 million women) provided some form of care to children and care-dependent adults, whether paid or unpaid. Find out more here.

Study: Inequities in pharmaceutical access and use

Data from the 2021 Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic shows that in 2021, 25% of older adults reported not having prescription insurance coverage. Find out more here.

New Journal Articles

Open Access Articles

Articles that are free and accessible to the general public.

Cherlin, E. J., Brewster, A. L., Ayedun, A. A., Straker, J., & Curry, L. A. (2023). Sustaining Area Agency on Aging Services During a Pandemic: Innovation Through Community Based Partnerships. The Gerontologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad009

This qualitative study examined how Area Agencies on Aging in the US were able to transform their services to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors report on key findings related to 1) reducing isolation, 2) alleviating food insecurity, 3) adapting program design and delivery, and 4) leveraging partnerships and repurposing resources.

Henry, J. D., Coundouris, S. P., Mead, J., Thompson, B., Hubbard, R. E., & Grainger, S. A. (2023). Social Frailty in Late Adulthood: Social Cognitive and Psychological Well-Being Correlates. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 78(1), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac157

Social frailty occurs when an individual’s basic social needs are not adequately met. In this study of 90 older adults, social frailty was found to be associated with demoralization, lower levels of resilience, and lower levels of life satisfaction.

Closed Access Articles

Articles that require a paid subscription. If you are a student or alumni of a college or university you may be able to access these through your institution’s library.

Park, G. R., Grignon, M., Young, M., & Dunn, J. R. (2022). How do housing asset and income relate to mortality? A population-based cohort study of 881220 older adults in Canada. Social Science & Medicine, 314, 115429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115429

Park and colleagues analyze data from a cohort of 881,220 older Canadians who were followed for six years (2011–2017) to estimate the link between housing assets, income level and mortality. The study found a clear link between mortality and housing assets, where the lowest housing asset group (renters) was more likely to die in the follow-up period than higher asset groups (homeowners).

Reynolds, K. A., Sommer, J., Mackenzie, C. S., & Koven, L. (2022). A Profile of Social Participation in a Nationally Representative Sample of Canadian Older Adults: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Canadian Journal on Aging, 41(4), 505–513. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980822000150

This article from Reynolds and colleagues analyzes the social participation habits of a sample of 51,338 older Canadians. The study found that more frequent social participation was associated with greater social support, higher cognitive abilities, increased satisfaction with life, fewer depressive symptoms, reduced odds of reporting mental health conditions, and fewer self-reported physical health conditions.

Research Participation Opportunities

Survey: Help address social isolation and loneliness in older adults

The Canadian Coalition for Seniors Mental Health (CCSMH) is developing guidelines to support health and social service providers to recognize, assess and find ways to reduce social isolation and loneliness among older adults in Canada. To help CCSMH understand better the experiences and insights of providers, they have launched a national survey and are asking those who work directly with older adults to complete it and to share with their organizations and networks. Click here for more information.

Participate in a survey about Ageism and Physically Active Lifestyle

As part of a study about ageism and physically active lifestyle, Health Canada is looking for participants aged 50 and over to complete an online survey. The information gathered will allow for new knowledge to be shared with organizations working in the field. The survey will be open until February 28th, 2023. Click here for more information.

Calls for Abstracts for Upcoming Conferences

Gerontological Society of America

The Gerontological Society of America is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The call for abstracts for GSA's 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting on November 8th-12th in Tampa, Florida is open! Submit your abstract by March 9th for this opportunity to share your cutting-edge scholarship and expertise in front of over 3,700 domestic and international colleagues in the field of aging.

Canadian Association on Gerontology

The Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG) is pleased to announce a Call for Abstracts for CAG2023, their 52nd Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting. The meeting will be held October 26th-28th, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario. CAG2023 is your opportunity to share your research and other work in the field of aging with your national and international colleagues from a diverse spectrum of disciplines. Abstracts are welcomed from all disciplines and all interests in aging, including research, practice, policy and related areas. Abstracts are due April 14th, 2023.