2009 Research Colloquium
Optimizing Healthy Aging: Promoting Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Program
The aging of the world population has been considered one of the major global challenges of the 21st century—similar in magnitude and importance to the major environmental and political challenges. The “graying” of the population also poses major challenges in the United States and in the State of Colorado. These challenges relate, among others, to issues such as health care, workforce participation, family and civic life, housing, and matters of lifestyle. The magnitude of these issues is best understood by looking at some of the demographics of the U.S. society.
The older population—persons 65 years or older— in the U.S. was 37.9 million in 2007 (the most recent year for which data are available). Older adults represented 12.6% of the U.S. population, about one in every eight Americans. The number of older Americans increased by 3.4 million (about 10%) since 1996 compared to an increase of 13.3% for the under-65 population. However, the number of Americans age 45-64—who will reach 65 over the next two decades—increased by 39% during this period. Based on these numbers, it is projected that by the year 2030 about 20% of the population—one in every 5 Americans—will be age 65 or older. More importantly, the older population itself is getting older with individuals in the 85+ group being the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population.
These national statistics are also reflected in the State of Colorado. Currently about 13% of the population in Colorado is 65 or older. Between 1996 and 2006 Colorado was one of ten states in which the 65+ population increased by 20% or more. Specifically, Colorado had a 24.1% increase in this segment of the population, which placed it in the top 5 of the 10 states. Moreover, the State of Colorado also has a significant number of aging Hispanics and is increasingly becoming a preferred retirement state.
Although most people associate with aging that “bad things” are going to happen, there is increasing evidence that the biological, psychological, and social aging-related processes can be influenced in positive ways and that healthy aging can be optimized. The primary objective of this year’s CSU Research Colloquium is to showcase the research that is conducted across the campus with a focus on optimizing healthy aging. Because human aging is such a complex process that occurs at multiple levels—from the cellular level to the functioning of the person in social contexts—and in very different ways for different individuals, research on aging benefits greatly when investigators from multiple disciplines work together in solving a problem. Therefore, a secondary objective of the Research Colloquium is to provide a forum for open communication among disciplines and to stimulate multidisciplinary collaborations.
Program Chair:
Manfred Diehl, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Center on Aging
Human Development and Family Studies
1570 Campus Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1570
Phone: 970-491-1767
FAX: 970-491-7975
E-mail: manfred.diehl@colostate.edu
Center on Aging: http://coa.cahs.colostate.edu