Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
In collaboration with SIGG (Società Italiana di Gerontologia e Geriatria)
Presentations
The Approach of Geriatrics
Andrea Ungar
Università degli Studi di Firenze, ITALY
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The Approach of Demography
Cecilia Tomassini
Università degli Studi del Molise, ITALY
The demography of ageing has evolved alongside the availability of data, shifting from macro-level analyses based on census/administrative data to more specific micro-level models as survey data became accessible. Early demographic studies primarily focused on broad age groups, but increasing data availability has highlighted the heterogeneity of old age, demonstrating the need to move beyond simplistic categorizations. Older individuals differ significantly in terms of health, socioeconomic status, and life experiences, necessitating a more refined approach to studying ageing populations.
Beyond individual characteristics, ageing is embedded within family and social contexts. The support structures available to older adults—whether through family, social networks, or institutional care—profoundly influence their well-being and longevity. Intergenerational transfers, including financial, emotional, and caregiving support, are crucial determinants of health and mortality. These exchanges are shaped by cultural norms, economic conditions, and policy environments, reinforcing the intricate links between generations.
Additionally, the demography of care has become a central concern, with ageing societies facing increasing demand for long-term care services. Understanding the potential pool of caregivers, who effectively provides care, how it is distributed, and its effects on both caregivers and recipients is essential for shaping policies that support ageing populations.
The Approach of Social Statistics
Giovanna Boccuzzo
Università degli Studi di Padova, ITALY
The progressive ageing of the population, not accompanied by a corresponding increase in healthy life expectancy, brings to the forefront the study of the health of older adults from a holistic perspective. The concept of frailty aligns with this perspective, as it considers a broader condition of vulnerability involving mainly older individuals, which is much more difficult to define and measure. The presentation aims to provide an overview of the concept of frailty, the various definitional approaches, and, consequently, the measurement methods, while also focusing on the relationship between frailty and the two main concepts that define health: multimorbidity and disability. Following a brief overview of the types of data and their role in the study of frailty, the presentation concludes with an analytical approach for defining a measure of frailty.
Longitudinal Data to Study Ageing
Fulvio Ricceri1, Carlotta Sacerdote2
1Università degli Studi di Torino, ITALY; 2Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, ITALY
Cohort studies are the best tool to study health aspects of ageing. The EPIC cohort study recruited more than 500,000 people across Europe in the 1990s, collecting a large range of information about the lifestyle and diet of participants along with a blood sample that was stored in liquid nitrogen. Since then, health follow-up has been in place for cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and a large number of studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between the exposures measured at recruitment and the diseases developed afterwards. Thanks to a PNRR grant, it was possible to organise a recall of some 2500 subjects, 30 years after the first visit. These data will provide an almost unique opportunity to assess how lifestyle and biological changes have contributed to different healthy ageing profiles in an Italian population.
