Deck 2: Population Aging

Question 1

A population in which at least _____ percent of the population is aged 65 and over is considered to be old.

A) five
B) ten
C) fifteen
D) twenty
E) twenty-five

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following categorizations is commonly used among gerontologists to classify the senior population?

A) retirement age (50 to 65), old age (66 and over)
B) mid-age (50-64), old age (65 and over)
C) young-old (45 to 54), middle-old (55 to 64), old-old (65 to 74), and frail old (75 and over)
D) young-old (65 to 74), middle-old (75 to 84), old-old (85 to 89), and frail old (90 and over)
E) least old (65 to 74), average old (75 to 84), old (85 to 89), and very old (90 and over)

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The population is considered to be aging when

A) the median age of the population is increasing
B) the median age of the population is decreasing
C) the median age of the population stays the same
D) the mean age of the population stays the same
E) people begin to retire earlier

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Demographers consider a population with a median age of _____ to be old.

A) fifty
B) twenty
B) thirty
C) forty
E) sixty

Question 5

An age dependency ratio refers to

A) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
B) the number of persons aged 0 to 15 (or 18) years, to the population aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
C) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, and the number of persons aged 0 to 15 (or 18) years, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
D) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged less than 15 (or 18) years
E) the number of persons aged 65 to 84 years, to the number of persons aged 45 to 54 years

Question 6

A youth dependency ratio refers to

A) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
B) the number of persons aged 0 to 15 (or 18) years, to the population aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
C) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, and the number of persons aged 0 to 15 (or 18) years, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
D) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged less than 15 (or 18) years
E) the number of persons aged 65 to 84 years, to the number of persons aged 45 to 54 years

Question 7

A total dependency ratio refers to

A) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
B) the number of persons aged 0 to 15(or 18) years, to the population aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
C) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, and the number of persons aged 0 to 15 (or 18) years, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
D) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged less than 15 (or 18) years
E) the number of persons aged 65 to 84 years, to the number of persons aged 45 to 54 years

Question 8

The familial old-age dependency ratio refers to

A) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
B) the number of persons aged 0 to 15(or 18) years, to the population aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
C) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, and the number of persons aged 0 to 15 (or 18) years, to the number of persons aged 15 (or 18) to 64 years
D) the number of persons aged 65 years and over, to the number of persons aged less than 15 (or 18) years
E) the number of persons aged 65 to 84 years, to the number of persons aged 45 to 54 years

Question 9

Dependency ratios can be used to assess population age structure. However, ALL dependency ratios contain the problematic assumption that

A) all older people are economically challenged
B) all older people are economically unstable
C) all older people are economically well off
D) all older people are economically independent
E) all older people are economically dependent

Question 10

A large increase in the proportion of the population aged 65 and over is a direct result of the baby boomers, which refers to the large cohort born between

A) 1930 and 1945
B) 1946 and 1962
C) 1950 and 1965
D) 1955 and 1971
E) anyone born past 1960

Question 11

The developed and the developing worlds face different age structure issues. Developed countries are facing a relatively high proportion of older people compared with other age groups, where as developing countries

A) are facing a decreasing number of older people, although they make up a large proportion of the overall population
B) are facing a decreasing number of older people, and they do not make up a large proportion of the overall population
C) are facing an increasing number of older people, although they do not make up a large proportion of the overall population
D) are facing an increasing number of older people, although they make up a large proportion of the overall population
E) are experiencing no change in their age structures

Question 12

The main factor accounting for population aging is

A) declining fertility
B) increasing fertility
C) decreases in mortality
D) increases in mortality
E) international migration

Question 13

Population pyramids are a graphical representation of age structures. One type of pyramid is an expansive pyramid which has a broad base and reflects

A) a lengthy period of low fertility
B) slow declines in fertility
C) rapid declines in fertility
D) a high proportion of children in the population, a result of high past and present fertility levels
E) a high proportion of older people in the population

Question 14

Population pyramids are a graphical representation of age structures. One type of pyramid is a constrictive pyramid where the base is somewhat narrower than the middle, and reflects

A) a lengthy period of low fertility
B) slow declines in fertility
C) rapid declines in fertility
D) a high proportion of children in the population, a result of high past and present fertility levels
E) a high proportion of older people in the population

Question 15

Population pyramids are a graphical representation of age structures. One type of pyramid is a stationary pyramid which has a narrow base, and approximately an equal percentage of people in each age group, tapering off at older ages, which is the result of

A) a lengthy period of low fertility
B) slow declines in fertility
C) rapid declines in fertility
D) a high proportion of children in the population, a result of high past and present fertility levels
E) a high proportion of older people in the population

Question 16

A population pyramid for Canada (1881-1991) would be described as changing from

A) expansive to constrictive
B) expansive to stationary
C) constrictive to stationary
D) stationary to constrictive
E) stationary to expansive

Question 17

It is expected that in Canada's future, population pyramids will shift from

A) expansive to constrictive
B) expansive to stationary
C) constrictive to stationary
D) stationary to constrictive
E) stationary to expansive

Question 18

Life span is

A) equivalent to longevity
B) equivalent to life expectancy
C) the number of years that humans could live under ideal conditions
D) the number of years that persons with a chronic condition can expect to live
E) the number of years that persons in a given country or population can expect to live

Question 19

All but which of the following statements is true about life expectancy?

A) it is a summary measure of mortality in a population
B) it is calculated using life table analysis
C) conceptually it is almost identical to longevity
D) it decreased steadily over the 20^th century
E) life expectancy gains have been greater for women than men

Question 20

Dependency-free life expectancy refers to

A) the number of years that a person in a given country/population can expect to live
B) the number of years that humans could live under ideal conditions
C) the number of years that people in a given population can expect to live in (reasonably) good health
D) the number of years that people in a given population can expect to live in (reasonably) good health, with no or only minor disabling health conditions
E) the number of years that people in a given population can expect to live in (reasonably) good health, with major disabling conditions

Question 21

The compression of morbidity hypothesis states that among Western countries

A) the age of onset of chronic disability is being delayed, thereby shortening the amount of time between being ill or disabled, and dying
B) the age of onset of chronic disability is being delayed, thereby increasing the amount of time between being ill or disabled, and dying
C) the age of onset of chronic disability is occurring earlier, thereby shortening the amount of time between being ill or disabled, and dying
D) the age of onset of chronic disability is occurring earlier, thereby increasing the amount of time between being ill or disabled, and dying
E) the age of onset of chronic disability is staying the same, thus having no effect on the number of dependent years before dying

Question 22

Canada's aging population is due to the combined effect of

A) increasing fertility, declining mortality, stress
B) declining fertility, increasing mortality, stress
C) increasing fertility, declining mortality, international migration
D) declining fertility, increasing mortality, international migration
E) declining fertility, declining mortality, international migration

Question 23

Epidemiological transition theory

A) describes the relationship between mortality decline and changes in the relative importance of different causes of death in the West
B) describes the relationship between mortality incline and changes in the relative importance of different causes of death in the West
C) discusses the different causes of death in the developing world
D) discusses the transition from a state of well-being to chronic disability
E) discusses the transition from birth to death

Question 24

According to epidemiological transition theory a society goes through three mortality stages in its transition to a modern pattern. The first stage is

A) the Age of Receding Pandemics, characterized by death rates starting to decline steadily, and a decrease in the proportion of deaths due to improved nutrition, sanitation and medical advances
B) the Age of Evolution and Survival of the Fittest, where those who are weak or diseased die
C) the Age of Natural Disasters, characterized by increased earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, avalanches and volcano eruptions
D) the Age of Pestilence and Famine, characterized by high death rates that fluctuate in response to epidemics, famines and war
E) the Age of Degenerative and Man-Made Diseases, characterized by low death rates and chronic diseases associated with aging are the common causes of death

Question 25

According to epidemiological transition theory a society goes through three mortality stages in its transition to a modern pattern. The second stage is

A) the Age of Receding Pandemics, characterized by death rates starting to decline steadily, and a decrease in the proportion of deaths due to improved nutrition, sanitation and medical advances
B) the Age of Evolution and Survival of the Fittest, where those who are weak or diseased die
C) the Age of Natural Disasters, characterized by increased earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, avalanches and volcano eruptions
D) the Age of Pestilence and Famine, characterized by high death rates that fluctuate in response to epidemics, famines and war.
E) the Age of Degenerative and Man-Made Diseases, characterized by low death rates and chronic diseases associated with aging are the common causes of death

Question 26

According to epidemiological transition theory a society goes through three mortality stages in its transition to a modern pattern. The third stage is

A) the Age of Receding Pandemics, characterized by death rates starting to decline steadily, and a decrease in the proportion of deaths due to improved nutrition, sanitation and medical advances
B) the Age of Evolution and Survival of the Fittest, where those who are weak or diseased die
C) the Age of Natural Disasters, characterized by increased earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, avalanches and volcano eruptions
D) the Age of Pestilence and Famine, characterized by high death rates that fluctuate in response to epidemics, famines and war.
E) the Age of Degenerative and Man-Made Diseases, characterized by low death rates and chronic diseases associated with aging are the common causes of death

Question 27

According to epidemiological transition theory a society goes through three mortality stages in its transition to a modern pattern. There has been a debate about whether the third stage is the final one, and in fact fourth and fifth stages have been proposed. The biggest challenge to this theory comes from

A) the emergence of new infectious diseases & re-emergence of old ones
B) the emergence of new chronic diseases
C) the emergence of new medical technology
D) the emergence of public health concerns
E) the availability of new drug therapies that effectively treat chronic health conditions

Question 28

The three leading causes of death among older women and men in Canada are

A) falls, suicide and loneliness
B) suicide, dementia, stroke
C) cancer, heart disease, suicide
D) dementia, pneumonia, heart disease
E) heart disease, stroke, cancer

Question 29

In general, older women outnumber older men. However, among those aged 85 years and over, women make-up almost _____ percent of the total.

A) ten
B) thirty
C) fifty
D) seventy
E) ninety

Question 30

With respect to differences in the number of births

A) female births exceed male births
B) male births exceed female births
C) male and female births are almost equal
D) the ratio of female to male births varies substantially by year
E) the ratio of female to male births appears to change every decade

Question 31

The data suggest, for virtually all places and times, that for the first year of life

A) infant mortality rates are higher for males than for females
B) infant mortality rates are lower for males than for females
C) infant mortality rates are the same for males than for females
D) infant mortality rates are unavailable for males and females
E) infant mortality rates are increasing for males than for females

Question 32

Part of the gender differential in mortality can be accounted for by all of the following biological factors EXCEPT

A) higher infant mortality among males
B) males are more likely to suffer from congenital abnormalities leading to death, than females
C) the protective effect of women's XX chromosome structure against heart disease
D) men's propensity towards violence compared to women
E) cell death occurs more rapidly in men than women

Question 33

All of the following factors contributed to the widening of the gender differential in mortality over the 20^th Century EXCEPT

A) death rates for older women 65 and over, declined more quickly than for older men 65 and over
B) death rates for women 55 to 64 years, declined more quickly than for men 55 to 64 years
C) high male infant mortality was overcome considerably
D) male deaths due to circulatory disease declined less than did female deaths
E) female mortality rates from cancer tended to be higher than male cancer mortality rates

Question 34

In the last 20 years, the gap between male and female mortality rates has

A) widened
B) narrowed
C) remained the same
D) fluctuated, widening and narrowing consistently over time
E) not demonstrated any particular pattern

Question 35

The two most important causes of death that contributed to widening the gender mortality differential in the 20^th Century were

A) circulatory disease and cancer
B) cancer and infectious diseases
C) cancer and declines in maternal mortality
D) heart disease and accidents
E) heart disease and suicide

Question 36

In the last 20 years, the gap between male and female mortality rates has narrowed somewhat. The major factor accounting for this narrowing is

A) that men have been experiencing greater declines in deaths due to tuberculosis than have women
B) that women have been experiencing greater declines in deaths due to tuberculosis than have men
C) that women have been experiencing greater declines in deaths due to HIV/AIDS than have men
D) that men have been experiencing greater declines in deaths due to circulatory diseases than have women
E) that women have been experiencing greater declines in deaths due to circulatory diseases than have men

Question 37

Women's lung cancer rates have increased substantially, largely reflecting

A) an increase in smoking
B) a decrease in smoking
C) an increase in exercise
D) a decrease in exercise
E) an increase in obesity

Question 38

The research suggests that the gender gap in the mortality rate among the educated and economically advantaged, compared to other segments of the population is

A) larger
B) smaller
C) the same
D) dependent on the segment to which it is compared
E) has not been investigated

Question 39

Which of the following causes of death played a major role in widening the male-female mortality difference?

A) cancer
B) maternal mortality
C) accident mortality
D) suicide
E) infectious disease

Question 40

The two Canadian provinces that currently have the highest percentage of people aged 65 and over in their populations are

A) Alberta and British Colombia
B) Alberta and Manitoba
C) Ontario and Quebec
D) Manitoba and Saskatchewan
E) Nova Scotia and Newfoundland

Question 41

The Canadian province that has the smallest percentage of people aged 65 and over in its population is

A) Alberta
B) Ontario
C) Quebec
D) British Colombia
E) Prince Edward Island

Question 42

The main factor accounting for the Canadian provincial variation in population age structure is

A) fertility differentials across provinces
B) provincial mortality differentials
C) the migration of people aged 65 and over
D) the migration patterns of younger people
E) accessibility of health care

Question 43

In absolute numbers, the majority of older people live in which of the following provinces

A) New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
B) Ontario, Quebec, British Colombia
C) Ontario, Quebec, Alberta
D) Alberta, British Colombia, Newfoundland
E) British Colombia, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan

Question 44

Amenity-oriented migration is often associated with

A) retirement among young older married couples
B) older institutionalized people
C) older women living below the low-income cut-offs
D) older men living below the low-income cut-offs
E) older people aged 85 and over living alone

Question 45

In Canada, more than _____ of the population aged 85 years and over live in institutions.

A) two-thirds
B) one-half
C) one-third
D) one-quarter
E) one-fifth

Question 46

The snowbird phenomenon refers to

A) a type of Canadian bird that flies south in the winter
B) older Canadians who move on a seasonal basis to southern US states
C) older Canadians who move permanently to southern US states
D) young Canadians who vacation in the winter
E) older people who travel across Canada in the winter

Question 47

Apocalyptic demography refers to

A) the notion that population aging has catastrophic consequences for society
B) the notion that population aging has positive consequences for society
C) the notion that population aging has many possible opportunities to positively change societal views
D) the notion that population aging will change the demographics of Canada
E) a notion that cannot be applied to population aging

Question 48

All of the following ideas represent one of the five themes of apocalyptic demography EXCEPT

A) older people overuse social programs
B) all older people are well-off
C) older people are using more than their fair share of resources
D) the large number of older people will make a positive contribution to society
E) aging is a social problem

Question 49

One of the themes of apocalyptic demography has stirred a debate. On one side, it is argued that older people are getting more resources than they deserve, while others argue that generations should be interdependent. This debate is better known as

A) the demography of aging debate
B) the resource allocation debate
C) the intergenerational equity debate
D) the generations debate
E) the aging debate

Question 50

Apocalyptic demography refers to the notion that population aging has catastrophic consequences for society. The research to date

A) supports an apocalyptic view of aging
B) does not support an apocalyptic view of aging
C) provides inconsistent evidence for an apocalyptic view of aging
D) has not investigated an apocalyptic view of aging
E) suggests an apocalyptic view of aging only applies to Canada

Question 51

Populations that have the same percentage of people aged 65 and over always have identical age structures.

Question 52

Age 65 as the commencement of old age is a social construction.

Question 53

Life expectancy and life span mean are interchangeable terms.

Question 54

Women have made greater gains in life expectancy than men.

Question 55

Within the Canadian population, the 65 and over age category has the highest percentage of foreign-born or immigrant persons.

Question 56

Explain why the percentage of the population that is age 65 and over is a simple indicator of population aging. Discuss the limitation of using this measure an indicator of population aging.

Question 57

Identify and define the three most frequently used dependency ratios. What do they each have in common? Are there more children than seniors in Canada? How do we know from these ratios?

Question 58

Using Canada as an example, discuss the role of fertility, mortality decline and international migration in population aging in developed countries.

Question 59

What are population pyramids? Describe the three "ideal types" of pyramids. Which pyramid represents Canada's age structure?

Question 60

Define and contrast life expectancy and lifespan. How has life expectancy changed in Canada over the 20^th century? Identify two milestones in life expectancy changes in Canada.

Question 61

What is the compression of morbidity hypothesis? Does the research provide evidence to support this hypothesis?

Question 62

Briefly explain the epidemiological transition theory. What are the three stages? Are these stages considered final? Why or why not?

Question 63

What is the snowbird phenomenon? Who is most likely to engage in this phenomenon?

Question 64

Define apocalyptic demography. What are its key themes? Is there evidence to support this hypothesis?

Question 65

Briefly describe what is meant by the intergenerational equity debate. Use an example to illustrate this idea.

Question 66

Explain why fertility is important to population aging. What are some of the reasons offered for fertility decline in the West? Has fertility been a well-researched topic in gerontology? Explain why or why not.

Question 67

Discuss the major causes of death among elderly Canadians. Specify gender differences in these causes. Are the causes consistent with epidemiological transition theory? Why or why not?

Question 68

What factors have contributed to the gender differentials in mortality? Describe the trends that occurred over the 20^th century that contributed to the widening of the gender mortality differential. Are these trends still evident?

Question 69

Discuss where older people in Canada live, with respect to provinces, size of cities, and rural compared to urban areas. Provide examples of the unique challenges faced by older people who live in rural areas. Describe the three-fold typology of senior migration.

Question 70

What is apocalyptic demography? Discuss the five inter-related themes that make-up apocalyptic demography. What are the criticisms of this approach?