Understanding the social determinants of healthy ageing – a multinational longitudinal cohort comparison study

Project Summary

Social determinants of health (SDH) refer to the social, economic, and environmental conditions in which people live, work, and age. The SDH can have a significant impact on health outcomes, especially in older adults. Understanding what dimensions of the SDH influence healthy aging, and by what mechanisms, can inform policies and interventions to support older adults to remain healthy. To date, most studies examining the SDH on healthy aging have been conducted in a single cohort with participants from one country. We propose to conduct a cross-national comparison of the association of various dimensions of the SDH on measures of health and well-being in older adults, using several longitudinal cohorts, including the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Our results will allow for comparison of the influence of the SDH on healthy aging across countries and cultures and will identify the behavioural, lifestyle and social factors that may explain how the SDH influences aging.