Identifying the Vulnerable Elderly in Asia and Their Level of Disadvantage

Albert Hermalin, University of Michigan
Mary Beth Ofstedal, University of Michigan

The vulnerability of the older population is a persistent theme within gerontology, arising from consideration of biological processes and underlying socioeconomic dynamics. These concerns often translate into assuming that certain groups of elderly are more disadvantaged, such as the oldest-old and those with limited economic and support resources. This paper introduces a new methodology for examining this issue by developing a risk factor for potentially vulnerable groups which measures their degree of disadvantage relative to those not in the group. This measure is used to compare profiles of disadvantage in economic, health, and social support outcomes for 12 vulnerable sociodemographic groups in four Asian countries: the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Data come from representative surveys of older adults in each country conducted in the mid-1990s. Results indicate wide variation among the vulnerable groups in the degree and extent of their disadvantage.