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Government Releases Study on Aging According to a recent federal report, American seniors are now healthier, wealthier and better educated when compared to past generations. However, for some minorities, progress has taken a somewhat slower pace. These are just some of the key findings in Older Americans 2004: Key Indicators of Well-Being, a report released by the 12 federal agencies that make up the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum). Established in 1986, the Forum’s goal is to improve the quality and usefulness of data on aging, Dr. Kristen Robinson, told the American Retiree. Robinson served as the Forum’s executive director during the making of the report, which is an update to a report put out by the consortium in 2000. The 2004 report took two years to complete, she said. “When it comes to seniors, there is always room for more usable data. They remain the fastest growing population,” said Robinson. There are almost 36 million people aged 65 and older living in the United States, accounting for just over 12 percent of the total population. Robinson hopes the recent report will help bridge existing data gaps. The information contained in the report is the most accurate available because it is based on information used by the federal government, she said. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency are just some of the agencies that make up the Forum. Here are some highlights from the report: Population Older Americans have attained higher levels of education. In 1950, 17 percent of seniors had graduated from high school and only 3 percent had at least a bachelor’s degree. By 2003, 72 percent were high school graduates and 17 percent had at least a bachelor’s degree. However, despite the overall increase in educational attainment among seniors, substantial educational differences exist among racial and ethnic groups, according to the report. In 2003, 76 percent of non-Hispanic whites age 65 and over had completed high school. Seventy percent of Asian seniors had completed secondary school. In contrast, 52 percent of blacks and 36 percent of Hispanics had completed high school. Economics The trend in median household income of the older population has been positive. Between 1974 and 2002, the median income for households with a headed of household age 65 and over increased from $16,882 to $23,152. Correspondingly, fewer seniors are living below the poverty level, according to the report. The amount of seniors living in poverty declined from 35 percent in 1959 to 10 percent in 2002. Between 1984 and 2001, the median net worth of households headed by people age 65 and over increased by 82 percent (after inflation). Although the rate of growth has been substantial for both older black and older white households, there are large differences in wealth. In 2001, the median net worth of white households ($205,000) was five times larger than for older black households ($41,000). Also, more women age 55 to 69 are working than ever before. In 2003, about three-fifths of women age 55-61, almost two-fifths of women age 62-64, and more than one-fifth of women age 65-69 were in the labor force. Seniors who lived alone had higher poverty rates than those who lived with their spouse. In 2002, 16 percent of older men and 21 percent of older women who lived alone lived in poverty. Robinson said that the study also provides important information about seniors and obesity. The report also shows that the percentage of older Americans who were obese or overweight increased greatly increased in the last four decades. Between 1960 and 1962, 18 percent of people age 65-74 were obese and 55 percent were overweight. By 1999-2002, more than one-third were obese and nearly three-quarters, or 73 percent, were overweight. “Most people don’t think of seniors when they think about obesity,” said Robinson, of the condition which may soon rival cigarette smoking as a major cause of preventable disease and premature death in the United States, according to the study. Older Americans 2004 is available on-line at http://www.agingstats.gov. The updated report has ten new categories including, veterans’ health care and cigarette smoking. -Fall 2004 Issue

http://www.agingstats.gov/default.htm