UN Research Agenda on Ageing

The Research Agenda has been developed by the United Nations Programme on Ageing together with the International Association of Gerontology. It identifies priorities for policy related research and data collection. Simultaneously, it encourages researchers to pursue studies in policy related areas of ageing where the findings may have practical and realistic applications. The Research Agenda on Ageing is addressed to legislatures, governments, academia, as well as non-governmental organizations and aid agencies dealing with issues of population and individual ageing. It is based on recognition of the diversity in societies at different levels of demographic as well as social and economic development.

More details available at: UN Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/ageraa.htm

CONTENTS

1. The Major Priorities

• Priority 1 Relationships of population ageing and socio-economic development
• Priority 2 current practices and options for maintaining material security into older age
• Priority 3 Changing family structures, intergenerational transfer systems and emergent patterns of family and institutional dynamics
• Priority 4 Determinants of healthy ageing
• Priority 5 Basic biological mechanisms and age associated diseases
• Priority 6 Quality of life and ageing in diverse cultural, socio-economic and environmental situations

2. Critical Research Arenas

• Social participation and integration
• Economic security
• Macro-societal change and development
• Healthy ageing
• Biomedical
• Physical and mental functioning
• Quality of Life
• Care Systems
• Changing structures and functions of families, kin and community
• Policy process and evaluation

3. Key Methodological Issues

• Methodological challenges that pose limitation to implementing comprehensive global research agendas
• Continuing need to adjust and disseminate methods and instruments
• Improved definitions
• Other issues of methodological endeavour

4. Implementation

• Research agenda must be a process, not a product
• Recommendations to sustain the implementation and further development of the Research Agenda by UN member states
• Ongoing project with periodic review, linked to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.