Few studies of the association between social networks (SN), social support (SS) and self-rated health (SRH) address the role of demography in determining that association. Yet demography defines social-structural context, differentiates family from friend networks and influences network structures. This study examines the SN-SRH association through cross-cutting analyses of four demographically-defined groups (Males, Females, Partnered, Unpartnered) and three networks (Family, Friend, Group).
The findings question the validity of studies assuming only positive causation and underline the importance of demographic differentiation of both population and networks for understanding the SN-SRH association.
We generalize model calibration for a multivariate Tweedie distribution to allow for censored observations; estimation is based on the method of moments. The multivariate Tweedie distribution we consider incorporates dependence in a pool of lives via a common stochastic component. Pools may be interpreted in various ways, from nation-wide cohorts to employer-based pension annuity portfolios.
In general, the common stochastic component is representative of systematic longevity risk, which is not accounted for in standard life tables and actuarial models used for annuity pricing and reserving.
Online and Offline Recruitment of Young Women for a Longitudinal Health Survey: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health 1989-95 cohort
Loxton, D., Powers, J., Anderson, A., Townsend, N., Harris, M., Tuckerman, R., Pease, S., Mishra, G.and Byles, J. (2015). Journal of Medical Internet Research. 7(5), e109.
Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations between Anaemia and Frailty in Older Australian Men: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project
Hirani, V., Naganathan, V., Blyth, F., Le Couteur, D.G., Waite, L.M., Handelsman, D.J. and Cumming, R.G. (2015). The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-term Care Medicine. 16 (7), 614-620.
This chapter sets the context for the rest of the volume. The focus is mostly on countries in East and South-East Asia, but it includes contrasting comparisons to key regional countries such as India and Australia.
We briefly compare the Australian and US economies and demographies, and then describe the Australian arrangements and assess its economic efficiency and efficacy in delivering retirement support. We focus especially on the means testing of the first pillar in Australia and the mandated membership of pre-funded private pension plans.
Daniel H. Alai, Katja Ignatieva and Michael Sherris
Stochastic mortality models have been developed for a range of applications from demographic projections to financial management. We assess and further develop this model. We generalise random shocks from a univariate gamma to a univariate Tweedie distribution and allow for the distributions to vary by age.
The Australian government has recently strengthened the age pension means test by raising the income taper and also introduced labour earnings exemptions from the means testing to encourage labour supply of older Australians. This paper assesses economy-wide implications of further hypothetical policy changes to the means testing of the age pension.
U-shaped association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and fracture risk in older men: results from the prospective population-based CHAMP study
Bleicher, K., Cumming, R.G., Naganathan, V., Blyth, F., Handelsman, D., Le Couteur, D., Waite, L. and Seibel, M.J. (2014). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 29(9), 2024-2031.
An Examination of the Effects of Intra and Inter-individual Changes in Wellbeing and Mental Health on Self-Rated Health in a Population Study of Middle and Older-Aged Adults
Burns, R.A., Sargent-Cox, K., Mitchell, P. and Anstey, K.J. (2014). Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 49(11), 1849-1858.
More than three million Australians are aged 65+, but they are not a homogenous group. This fact sheet attempts to determine what a typical older Australian is like. Based on Census data we now know her age, where she lives, her weekly disposable income, and who she votes for.
Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in Older People: Prescribing Patterns According to Pain Prevalence and Adherence to Clinical Guidelines
Gnjidic, D., Blyth, F.M., Le Couteur, D.G., Cumming, R.G., McLachlan, A.J., Handelsman, D.J., Seibel, M., Waite, L. and Naganathan, V. (2014). Pain 2014, 155(9), 1814-1820.
We develop and simulate a stochastic lifecycle model to investigate optimal annuity purchases at retirement. Retirees can invest in risky assets, purchase fairly priced immediate or deferred lifetime annuities, and are eligible for a targeted safety net pension. We match baseline parameters to current Australian settings and conduct scenario analyses over a wide range of individual preferences and financial market outcomes.
Hazel Bateman, Rafal Chomik, John Piggott, and Michael Sherris
This submission focuses on the use of defaults in superannuation drawdowns at retirement. It has been written in response to a request to CEPAR by the FSI to provide input on this issue. It builds on earlier CEPAR submissions, dated March 31 (Submission 1) and June 12 2014 (Submission 2).
Low Levels of 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D and Active 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Independently Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Older Australian Men: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project
Hirani, V., Cumming, R. G., Le Couteur, D.G., Naganathan, V., Blyth, F., Handelsman, D.J., Waite, L.M. and Seibel, M.J. (2014). Journal of American Geriatric Society, 62(9), 1741-1747.
Can a Tailored Exercise and Home Hazard Reduction Program Reduce the Rate of Falls in Community Dwelling Older People with Cognitive Impairment: Protocol Paper for the i-FOCIS Randomised Controlled Trial
Close, J., Wesson, J., Sherrington, C., Hill, K., Kurrle, S., Lord, S., Brodaty, H., Howard, K., Gitlin, L., ORourke, S. and Clemson, L. (2014). BMC Geriatrics, 14(1).
Active Vitamin D (1,25 hydroxyvitamin D) is Associated with Chronic Pain in Older Australian Men: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project
Hirani, V., Blyth. F., Naganathan, V., Cumming, R.G., Le Couteur, D., Handelsman, D.J., Waite, L.M. and Seibel, M.J. (2014). Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical sciences.
We take a more fundamental approach and explicitly model liquidity risk as the driver of basis spreads, reducing the dimensionality of the market for the frequency basis from observed spread term structures for every frequency pair down to term structures of two factors characterising liquidity risk. To this end, we use an intensity model to describe the arrival time of (possibly stochastic) liquidity shocks with a Cox Process.
Julie Agnew, Hazel Bateman, Christine Eckert, Fedor Iskhakov, Jordan Louviere and Susan Thorp
Using an online incentivised discrete choice experiment, we study how well individuals judge financial advice and whether factors other than advice quality influence their evaluations.
Family Structures have changed profoundly in most developed countries in recent decades. Declining fertility and marriage rates and increasing divorce rates, together with longer life expectanies, make financial planning more challenging. Our study analyzes the impact of family structure on individual's attitudes toward risk and on their savings and investment decisions based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) over the period 2004-2010.
This paper considers the lifetime asset allocation problem with both idiosyncratic and systematic longevity risks, in which the stochastic mortality model is given by a general diffusion process.
Population ageing is likely to result in more people requiring care. Australia's aged care system is the set of public, private and community institutions that offer care interventions to older people suffering chronic illnesses, disability, or physical and cognitive decline. It is also the subject of an evolving reform agenda, so a wide understanding of how it operates is critical.
This brief looks at aged care by describing care recipients, providers, the workforce and access and quality issues.
For a proportion of people, a long life comes with chronic illnesses, disability, or physical or cognitive decline. Population ageing means more people will require care and support. Much of it will be provided informally by family, but increasingly it will take the shape of formal aged care.
This is the first of two research briefs on aged care in Australia. This research brief introduces the policy setting and looks at the demand and funding of formal and informal care.
Long-term Cognitive Correlates of Traumatic Brain Injury Across Adulthood and Interactions with APOE Genotype, Sex and Age-cohort
Eramudugolla, R., Bielak, A.M., Bunce, D., Easteal, S., Cherbuin, N., Anstey, K.J. and von Sanden, C. (2014). Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 20(4), 444-454.
Adam Wenqiang Shao, Katja Hanewald and Michael Sherris
We analyse the combined impact of house price risk and longevity risk on the pricing and risk profile of reverse mortgage loans in a stochastic multi-period model.
Use of the Tailored Activities Program to Reduce Neuropsychiatric Behaviours in Dementia: An Australian Protocol for a Randomized Trial to Evaluate its Effectiveness
O'Connor, C., Clemson, L., Brodaty, H., Jeon, Y., Mioshi, E. and Gitlin, L. (2014). International Psychogeriatrics, 26 (5), 857-869.
CEPAR Chief Investigator Hal Kendig, along with Chris Phillipson, submitted a report to the British Academy Policy Centre on Building Age Friendly Cities.
A number of CEPAR staff and affiliates contributed to this submission, including Rafal Chomik, Michael Sherris, Hazel Bateman, John Piggott, Ralph Stevens, and Diane Hosking, and the Chairman of the CEPAR Advisory Board, Marc de Cure.
Hazel Bateman, Rafal Chomik, John Piggott and Michael Sherris.
Following CEPAR's initial submission to the Financial Systems Inquiry, members of the Inquiry expressed the view that behavioural economics/finance had been underdone in the submission. CEPAR has put together a supplementary submission addressing this area.
James Mahmud Rice, Jeromey Temple and Peter McDonald
With demographic and economic changes on the horizon, an understanding of the production and consumption behavior of all Australians, but mature age Australians in particular, is indispensible. This project seeks to enhance our understanding of the economic lifecycle by developing National Transfer Accounts (NTA) for Australia.
The formal definition of the NTA is "a system of macroeconomic accounts that measures current economic flows by age in a manner consistent with the United Nations System of National Accounts. NTA measures age- specific labour income, asset income, consumption, transfers and saving, accounting for flows within households, between households, through the public sector and with the rest of the world" (UN,2013).
