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Bio- and Health Gerontology: How Ageing Changes Our Bodies

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Old Age In Europe

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Aging ((BRIEFSAGING))

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Abstract

Bio- and health gerontology investigate physical change during the ageing process. While biogerontology focusses on the physical mechanisms of ageing, health gerontology discusses health status in old age and health care for older people. Among older Europeans, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and dementia are common ailments. Fortunately, most European countries have well-developed health and long-term care systems, that help families support care to frail older people.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Santé-Environnement-Vieillissement, Université Versailles St-Quentin, Hôpital Sainte Périne, Paris, France

    Joel Ankri & Bernard Cassou

Authors
  1. Joel Ankri
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  2. Bernard Cassou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bernard Cassou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Umeå University, Department of Sociology, Vindarnas Trog 1, Umeå, 901 87, Sweden

    Kathrin Komp

  2. , Faculty of Social Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Netherlands

    Marja Aartsen

Check Your Progress: A Quiz on Bio- and Health Gerontology

Check Your Progress: A Quiz on Bio- and Health Gerontology

Question 2.1: What are definitions of health? (multiple answers possible)

  1. (a)

    When you did not visit a doctor for at least 8 months

  2. (b)

    When you do not have any diseases

  3. (c)

    When you experience physical, mental, and social well-being

  4. (d)

    When your breathing is normal and you can sleep through the night

  5. (e)

    When your body mass index is below 25

Question 2.2: What are strategies to facilitate healthy ageing? (multiple answers possible)

  1. (a)

    Make sure diseases do not even start

  2. (b)

    Slow down the ageing process

  3. (c)

    Move to a big city, so that you have access to many hospitals and doctors

  4. (d)

    Learn from health promotion strategies

  5. (e)

    All of the above

Question 2.3: What is the main criticism of biogerontology?

  1. (a)

    It focusses on biology only and does not pay enough attention to the social aspects of ageing

  2. (b)

    It makes absolute statements about ageing, but ageing is subjective

  3. (c)

    It mainly studies animals, but it is not clear whether we can generalize the results of such studies to humans

  4. (d)

    It is a young discipline and, therefore, still needs a few more decades to develop

  5. (e)

    It mainly works with quantitative studies, but we also need qualitative studies to properly understand ageing

Question 2.4: In which part of Europe do governments spend the least amount of money of health care?

  1. (a)

    Southern Europe

  2. (b)

    Northern Europe

  3. (c)

    Continental Europe

  4. (d)

    Eastern Europe

  5. (e)

    There are hardly any differences within Europe

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Ankri, J., Cassou, B. (2013). Bio- and Health Gerontology: How Ageing Changes Our Bodies. In: Komp, K., Aartsen, M. (eds) Old Age In Europe. SpringerBriefs in Aging. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6134-6_2

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