XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

219

Social Epidemiology of Aging: Focussing on Diversity and Cross-National Comparisons

RC11 Sociology of Aging (host committee)

Language: English

Social Epidemiology is the study of the social distribution and social determinants of states of health, including diseases, disorders, behaviors, disability, injuries, violence, well-being, mortality, etc.  It focuses on population health to improve the average health expectancy and reduce the risk inequalities within a population across various social statuses, including: race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexuality, etc.  The Social Epidemiology of Aging merges the studies of social inequalities, health, and aging as cumulative experiences over the life course at a population-level from a Sociological perspective.  This session addresses empirical and theoretical research on aging, seeking papers that focus on the life course perspective and/or social and environmental contextual-level influences on health.  Papers may identify and interpret the reasons for changing population health patterns, better understand the pathways connecting the prior contexts to population health, or incorporate these patterns and pathways into prevention or intervention programs for middle-aged and older adults.  Papers may use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.