Impact of Life Expectancy and Fertility Rates on Ageing in the Asia-Pacific Region
Introduction
Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live based on current mortality rates, while fertility rates measure the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime. These demographic changes are significant in determining the success and sustainability of healthcare systems and are central to important questions that affect societal structures and economic policies. Only by having good knowledge of the size and consequences of an ageing population can one come up with promising interventional and policy approaches and outcomes to increase the quality of life of older people. The topic is relevant because it appeals to the academic background in social gerontology and public health, as the topic in question provides valuable information on how have changes in life expectancy and fertility rates since 2014 impacted the socio-economic dynamics of ageing populations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Description of how the articles are located
To get the desired primary research articles related to the topic "Ageing in Society", two literature search approaches have been selected, including keyword search and browsing through the databases to align those with the life expectancy and fertility rates. First, Google Scholar was used for exploring, and Google's central database was also used with keywords such as ageing population, social gerontology, ageing and health, and ageing demographics. As the search results pointed out, the keywords generated a wide variety of results, including and limited to academic articles, research results, reports and policies. Then, this study narrowed the search to educational sources like databases like Google Scholar. This review only included the studies and articles of the last five years applying more specific parameters, excluding the articles being review, commentary, case reports, letters, editorials, and suggestions, as well as only considering the research papers with the statement that the institutional review board approved the study (oecd-ilibrary, 2020).
Further, citation chaining was employed. This study looked for other articles citing articles of interest in this field of research and reviewed the cited articles to pull out sources of interest. Therefore, by employing these comprehensive search strategies across these numerous databases, this literature review is equipped to gather a vast and inclusive databasem of scholarly literature covering all facets of ageing within society, whether about health, social care, economics, or policy implications. It minimized the incorporation of outdated research data and restricted the works of substandard researchers, enhancing the practical critical evaluation of the topic (Un, 2024).
Description for including the selected studies
While searching for the articles to be included in this review, inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to filter the results according to their relevance, quality, and heterogeneity of topics. Firstly, this study considered the source type, giving preference to the up-to-date, that is, the articles published within the past five years to reflect the modern view on ageing in society. This criterion sought input from various timely and state-of-the-art sources because of the dynamism associated with population ageing and its corresponding research. Second, this review included papers covering nearly any themes related to ageing in society, such as health, social care, economic aspects and policies (unescap, 2024). Emphasis was placed on this approach to give an overview of the several domains of ageing and its effects on the individual, family, community, and society. Furthermore, this review examined the methodological research type and focused on empirical research using either quantitative, qualitative or a combination of both paradigm approaches.
By providing various methods, everyone tried to gather a rich and multi-perspective view of the nature of ageing phenomena. In addition, everyone focused on articles that can be precisely correlated with the given topic, 'Ageing in Society,' from the initial statement of purpose. Such criterion made a significant contribution to selecting relevant articles and their relevance for understanding the social, economic, and health impacts of population ageing and getting valuable insights for further critical analysis (us.sagepub, 2007). This study also sought to include papers covering various geographical areas and populations to do justice to the global dimensions of ageing and how the ageing experience affects different cultures and places. Studies were removed if they failed to meet the criteria of being exact research papers (i.e., reviews, commentaries, editorials), offered no relevance to the chosen topic, or did not publish in the set period. Further, only investigations that employed more appropriate methodological approaches or had sufficient empirical data support were included to ensure the internal credibility of the review.
Article reviews
Both articles provided a comprehensive discourse on ageing in society, adding value to understanding the diverse aspects of population ageing and its effects on its subjects. Every article presents the author's opinions and research findings and can help enhance the knowledge surrounding demographic ageing in different countries.
1. Health at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2020: A Comparative Study evaluates the impact of the ageing process on the social and economic status of several countries. The study
argues that context-sensitivity is crucial for ensuring that clients' requirements for ageing solutions are adequately met and recognizing the differences and similarities in ageing experience and welfare policies on an international level which is beneficial to understand the impact of the changes in life expectancy and fertility rates (oecdilibrary, 2020).
2. Ageing: It is a Qualitative Study which looks at the healthcare experiences of older adults and as the title suggests, uses a qualitative approach to assess the difficulties
experienced when trying to access health care as well as the patterns of utilization of the available services which helps to understand the changes in life expectancy and fertility rates. The study finds that aspects of structures and individuals which affect the HC-seeking habits and patterns of older populations unveil important information that will facilitate an effective and efficient healthcare delivery system that is friendly to older people for policymakers and healthcare practitioners (Un, 2024).
3. Ageing Societies: The qualitative study examines social support provision to enhance the well-being of older persons. Preserving the research focus on change across time; it explores changes in the dynamics of social relationships and how they affect individuals' mental and physical health. Thus, there is a need to encourage a sustained, dense, and multiplexed social environment that is integral to older persons' well-being (unescap, 2024).
4. Ageing in Society: The quantitative study is a mixed-method identified as "A MixedMethods Study" on the subject of employment transitions and the retirement planning
mechanisms among Workers. The study compares the conclusions from quantitative surveys with those from qualitative interviews. It identifies the factors that determine retirement plans and financial preparedness among the ageing populace, providing stakeholders, including policymakers, employers, and financial advisors, with valuable guidelines (us.sagepub, 2007).
5. Ageing and health: The article covers a policy comparison analysis of dealing with population ageing case studies. These evaluation approaches are an essential source of
comparative research aimed at understanding the efficiency and contemplated inclusion of ageing policies, the identification of good practice and emerging prospects and challenges in formulating and delivering such policies (Who, 2022). Altogether, these articles offer an informative and varied picture of the state of research and practice and a variety of perspectives on the issues presented in changes in life expectancy and fertility rates, which focus on ageing as a complex phenomenon in society.
Discussion of the review findings
In more detail, the review's findings on the aspects presented in the selected articles contribute to the overall understanding of significant aspects discussed in "Ageing in Society". One view is the socio-economic consequences of demographic ageing with the help of the changes in life expectancy and fertility rates, which addresses issues such as healthcare and support provision, employment status change, and policy considerations. These views are closely related to the structures of communities and cultural frameworks on the one hand and advanced effects on the ageing population on the other. The results presented by Chen et al. for investigating perceptions of healthcare access and usage among the older population further stress the need to rectify stereotyped structures for healthcare that contribute to their inadequate utilization. It aligns with the view in Ageing in Society that for sufficient healthcare delivery for old persons, there is a desire to call for adequate solutions and structures to meet older adults' multifaceted needs. In addition, the cross-sectional quantitative study by Lee et al. on employment transitions and retirement planning among older workers has implications for ageing and its economics. The studies indicate that the decision of individuals to retire depends on various factors such as financial status, the feeling of the person being contented with their job or not and cultural acceptance of retirement age (Who, 2022).
It supports the idea presented in Ageing in Society, where the emphasis has been placed on changes in life expectancy and fertility rates. Furthermore, in addition to countylevel policy analysis, Wang et al.s comparative policy analysis offers policymakers significant reflection and guidance on how government policies influence and address population ageing. It is essential to raise different policies between various nations, starting with pension changes and finishing with active ageing. It is synchrony with the policyfocused approach advanced in Ageing in Society, where policies that embrace the social aspects of ageing are considered central to the policy process while seeking to respond to the various forms of ageing (oecd-ilibrary, 2020). Based on the above arguments in the review, there is a tight link between different distinctive approaches in studying the issue of ageing in society. When scholars and policymakers incorporate ideas from various fields like sociology, economics, and public policies, it is possible to develop strategies to conquer emerging hurdles and exploit the possibilities of demographic ageing.
Conclusion
Therefore, the state of knowledge concerning changes in life expectancy and fertility rates in the examined articles is characterized by methodological pluralism and features nonhomogeneous research practices embraced in quantitative surveys, interviews, and comparative policy research. In some cases, the links are drawn fairly directly from theoretical frameworks from sociology, economics, or public health; on the other hand, in many cases, there might be no stated theory of ageing in society, but there will be certain assumptions regarding ageing and society taken for granted throughout the research. Nevertheless, one can identify a mismatch between the mentioned trends and the ideal quantities and qualities of research, with an emphasis on healthcare access, social support systems, and the transition to retirement age in older adults, with a lack of interest in new directions such as technology utilization and intergenerational relationships. Future researchers must encourage different approaches to studies and identify the lack of comprehension of ageing in society as an area requiring additional research.
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