Abstract
The development of synthetic indexes to measure how societies undertake population aging has become relevant during the last decade due to international interest in responding to demographical changes and in elevating older adults’ standards of living. The measurements proposed are the Global Age Watch Index (GAI), the Active Aging Index (AAI), and the Aging Society Index (ASI). This document aims to present and discuss Mexico’s results on all three indexes and to contribute to the general discussion on the indexes’ ability to design and implement public policies in specific contexts. Mexico got different results from each index, and the exercise helped identify some challenges of the indexes. The general balance between the referential framework and the methodology of the indexes is that they are a cross-sectional measurement of the situation of older adults. However, the actual posits leave aside a lifetime perspective and, for the GAI and ASI, a gender perspective. Moreover, they lack a solid theoretical discussion, and their methodologies fail to incorporate an adjustment for the demographical conditions of the countries, which can hardly yield comparable results.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agudelo, M., & Medina, R. (2014). (). Dependencia de las personas adultas mayores. En L. M. Gutiérrez, M. C. García, & J. E. Jiménez (Eds.), Envejecimiento y dependencia, realidades y previsión para los próximos años (pp. 1–27). Intersistemas
Antczak, R., & Zaidi, A. (2018). Well-Being of Older Persons in Central and Eastern European Countries. Research on Ageing and Social Policy, 6(1), 26–52. https://doi.org/10.17583/rasp.2018.3109
Atoyebi, O. (2018). A Reformulation and Assessment of the Global AgeWatch Index: Inclusion of a Gender-based Domain (Thesis of master). Canada: Simon Fraser University. Retrieved April 2021 from https://core.ac.uk/reader/159391744
Atoyebi, O., Wister, A., Mitchell, B., & Sixsmith, A. (2019). A reformulation and assessment of the Global AgeWatch Wellbeing Index: inclusion of a gender based domain. Journal of Population Research, 36(4), 365–390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-019-09232-x
Boudiny, K. (2013). ‘Active ageing’: from empty rhetoric to effective policy tool. Ageing & Society, 33, 1077–1098. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X1200030X
Castillo, D., & Vela, F. (2005). (). Envejecimiento demográfico en México. Evaluación de los datos censales por edad y sexo, 1970–2000.Papeles de Población, 45,107–141
Chen, C., Goldman, D., Zissimopoulos, J., Rowe, J., & Research Network on an Aging Society. (2018). &. Multidimensional comparison of countries’ adaptation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(37), 9169–9174. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1806260115
Da Silva Francisco, A. (2017). ‘Gerontogrowth’ and population ageing in Africa and the Global AgeWatch Index. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, 9, 78–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2016.08.003
Djurovic, I., Jeremic, V., Bulajic, M., & Dobrota, M. (2017). A Two-Step Multivariate Composite I-Distance Indicator Approach for the Evaluation of Active Ageing Index. Journal of Population Ageing, 10(1), 73–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-016-9169-8
Formosa, M. (2017). Responding to the Active Ageing Index: Innovations in Active Ageing Policies in Malta. Journal of Population Ageing, 10(1), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-016-9163-1
Garay, S., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, V., de Oca, M., Rojo, V., Pérez, F., Gallardo, L. P., & Fernández-Mayoralas, G. (2016). Envejecimiento activo, participación social y calidad de vida. Estudio comparativo entre Chile, España y México. Brasil: VII Congreso de ALAP. http://www.abep.org.br/publicacoes/index.php/anais/article/view/2517/0
Garay, S., Montes de Oca, V., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, V., Rojo-Pérez, F., & Fernández-Mayoralas, G. (2017). Fuentes de datos e indicadores disponibles para medir los entornos sociales y físicos de la calidad de vida en la vejez en España y México. Notas de Población, 105, pp. 13–51. http://hdl.handle.net/11362/43160
Guzmán, J. M. (2002). Envejecimiento y desarrollo en América Latina y el Caribe. Serie Población y Desarrollo 28. Santiago de Chile: CEPAL. Retrieved June 2021 from https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/7166-envejecimiento-desarrollo-america-latina-caribe
HelpAge Intenational (2015a). Global AgeWatch Index 2015. Insight report. HelpAge Intenational. Retrieved June 2021 from https://helpage.org/silo/files/global-agewatch-index-2015-insight-report.pdf
HelpAge Intenational (2015b). Global AgeWatch Index 2015. Methodology update. HelpAge Intenational. Retrieved June 2021 from https://www.helpage.org/global-agewatch/reports/global-agewatch-index-2015-insight-report-summary-and-methodology/
HelpAge International (2014). Global AgeWatch Index 2014. Insight report. HelpAge International. Retrieved June 2021 from https://www.helpage.org/global-agewatch/reports/global-agewatch-index-2014-insight-report-summary-and-methodology/
HelpAge International (2013). Global AgeWatch Index 2013. Purpose, methodology and results. HelpAge International. Retrieved June 2021 from https://www.helpage.org/silo/files/global-agewatch-index-2013-purpose-methodology-and-results.pdf
Hsu, H. C., Liang, J., Luh, D. L., Chen, C. F., & Lin, L. J. (2019). Constructing Taiwan’s Active Aging Index and Applications for International Comparison. Social Indicators Research, 146(3), 727–756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-019-02128-6
Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres [INMUJERES] (2015). Situación de las personas adultas mayores en México. Retrieved May 2021 from http://cedoc.inmujeres.gob.mx/documentos_download/101243_1.pdf
Koosheshi, M., Kabiri, K., & Zaidi, A. (2020). Wellbeing of Older People in Iran: An Application of the Global AgeWatch Index. Pertanika Journal of Social Science & Humanities, 28(1), 409–424. Retrieved May 2021 from http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/pjssh/browse/regular-issue?article=JSSH(S)-0890-20
Lassen, A. (2015). Biopolíticas de la vejez. Cómo el conocimiento sobre el envejecimiento forma políticas de envejecimiento activo. Sociología Histórica (5), 331–362. Retrieved July 2021 from https://revistas.um.es/sh/article/view/239161
Michel, J. (2019). Identification of the Best Societal Measurement of Healthy Aging. Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research, 23(2), 45–49. https://doi.org/10.4235/agmr.19.0017
Montoya-Arce, J., & de Montes, H. (2009). Situación laboral de la población adulta mayor en el Estado de México. Papeles de la Población, 15(59), 193–237. Retrieved April 2021 from https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=11205906
Naciones Unidas [United Nations] (2003). Declaración Política y Plan de Acción Internacional de Madrid sobre el Envejecimiento. Retrieved April 2021 from https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/ageing/MIPAA/political-declaration-sp.pdf
Organización Mundial de la Salud [World Health Organization] (2015). Informe Mundial sobre el envejecimiento y la salud. Estados Unidos de América: OMS. Retrieved April 2021 from https://www.who.int/es/publications/i/item/9789241565042
Ordorika, I., & Rodríguez, R. (2012). Cobertura y estructura del Sistema Educativo Mexicano: problemática y propuestas. In J. Narro Robles, J. Martuscelli Quintana, & E. Barzana García, Plan de diez años para desarrollar el Sistema Educativo Nacional (pp. 197–222). México: UNAM. Retrieved June 2021 from https://www.rua.unam.mx/portal/recursos/ficha/7693/cobertura-y-estructura-del-sistema-educativo-mexicano-problematica-y-propuestas
Monastyrny, E., Gumennikov, I., & Pavlova, I. (2019). Composite Indices as International Approaches to Elderly Population Well-being Evaluation: Evidence from Russia. In F. Casati, The European Proceedings of Social & Behavioural Sciences. Volume 7. Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium on Lifelong Wellbeing in the World (WELLSO 2015) (pp. 259–269). https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2016.02.35
Petretto, D., Pili, R., Gaviano, L., Matos, C., & Zuddas, C. (2016). Envejecimiento activo y de éxito o saludable: una breve historia de modelos conceptuales.Revista Española de Geriatría y Gerontología, 51(4),229–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regg.2015.10.003
Pham, V., Chen, Y. M., Van Duong, T., Nguyen, T., & Chie, W. C. (2019). Adaptation and Validation of Active Aging Index Among Older Vietnamese Adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 32(7–8), 604–615. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264319841524
Rodríguez, V. (2014). Índices sintéticos de envejecimiento: (I) Global AgeWatch Index. Blog Envejecimiento en Red. Retrieved April 2020 from https://envejecimientoenred.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/indices-sinteticos-de-envejecimiento-i-global-agewatch-index-2/
Rodriguez-Rodriguez, V., Rojo-Perez, F., Fernandez-Mayoralas, G., Morillo-Tomas, R., Forjaz, J., & Prieto-Flores, M. E. (2017). Active Ageing Index: Application to Spanish Regions. Journal of Population Ageing, 10(1), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-016-9171-1
Rojo-Pérez, F., Garay, S., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, V., Coria, S., Fernández-Mayorales, G., Oca, V., Herrera, S., & Fernández, B. (2016). (). Envejecimiento activo desde una perspectiva comparada en Iberoamérica a través del “Active Ageing Index”. VII ALAP Congreso de la Asociación Latinomericana de Población. Retrieved July 7 2022 from http://abep.org.br/xxencontro/files/paper/299-389.pdf
São José, J., Timonen, V., Filipe, C., & Pereira, S. (2017). A critique of the Active Ageing Index. Journal of Aging Studies, 40, 49–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2017.01.001
Sudharsanan, N., & Bloom, D. (2018). The Demography of Aging in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Chronological versus Functional Perspectives. In M. Hayward, & M. Majmundar, Future Directions for the Demography of Aging: Proceedings of a Workshop. (pp. 307–336). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved June 2021 from https://www.nap.edu/read/25064/chapter/18
The Economist Intelligence Unit (2020). Shifting demographics. A global study on creating inclusive environments for ageing populations. Retrieved May 2021 from https://ageingshift.economist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Ageing-Shift_Shifting-demographics-whitepaper_FINAL.pdf
United Nations (2019). World Population Prospects 2019. Retrieved June 2021 from https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/
UNECE/European Commission (2015). Active Ageing Index 2014: Analytical Report
UNECE/European Commission. (2019). 2018 Active Ageing Index. Analytical Report
Varlamova, M., Ermolina, A., & Sinyavskaya, O. (2017). Active Ageing Index as an Evidence Base for Developing a Comprehensive Active Ageing Policy in Russia. Journal of Population Ageing, 10(1), 41–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-016-9164-0
Viveros, A. (2001). Envejecimiento y vejez en América Latina y el Caribe: políticas públicas y las acciones de la sociedad. Serie Población y Desarrollo 22. Santiago de Chile: CEPAL. Retrieved July 2021 from https://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/7155
Woo, J. (2020). Indicators of Societal Adaptations to Ageing Well. Advances in Geriatric Medicine and Research, 2(1), e200003. https://doi.org/10.20900/agmr20200003
Zaidi, A., Gasior, K., Hofmarcher, M., Lelkes, O., Marin, B., Rodrigues, R., & Zolyomi, E. (2013). Active Ageing Index 2012. Concept, Methodology and Final Results
Zaidi, A., Um, J., Xiong, Q., & Parry, J. (2019). Active Ageing Index for China Comparative Analysis with EU Member States and South Korea. EU-CHINA Social Protection / Expertise France. Retrieved May 2021 from https://www.ageing.ox.ac.uk/files/AAI%20Report%20for%20China%202019%20July%202019%20FINAL%20(1).pdf
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Declarations of interest
none.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
García-Peña, C., Sosa-Tinoco, E., Max-Monroy, E. et al. An Assessment of Mexico’s Situation Based on three Global Indexes on Healthy Aging, and its Use on the Design of Public Policy. Population Ageing 15, 843–862 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-022-09384-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-022-09384-4