Cross-national research offers a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of how social and economic contexts influence health and well-being among older adults. Examining the role of social factors in aging across countries with different sociocultural and policy contexts can help us understand which elements of the aging experience are universal, and thus more likely to be “normal” or fundamental aspects of aging, and which most likely reflect broader macrosocial and economic contexts specific to one country or region, rather than aging per se. Better aging outcomes in one country may provide evidence for the efficacy of the country’s social and economic policies and programs for supporting health and aging. Comparative research also can be used to identify social and economic determinants of aging that are common across countries, thus highlighting important directions in which to focus our efforts to improve health and well-being at older ages. The relative importance of factors such as family, work, social relationships, and economic resources to aging outcomes may depend largely on the social, political, and economic contexts in which individuals are aging. The role of the family in the care of older adults, for instance, may be a larger factor determining health and well-being at older ages in countries that lack public social and economic provisions for supporting older adults.

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老龄化社会和经济背景的跨国比较

跨国研究提供了一个独特的机会，可以提高我们对社会和经济环境如何影响老年人健康和福祉的理解。检查不同社会文化和政策背景的国家的社会因素在老龄化中的作用可以帮助我们了解老龄化经历的哪些要素是普遍的，因此更有可能是老龄化的“正常”或基本方面，并且最有可能反映更广泛的特定于一个国家或地区的宏观社会和经济背景，而不是老龄化本身。一个国家更好的老龄化结果可能为该国支持健康和老龄化的社会和经济政策和计划的有效性提供证据。比较研究还可用于确定各国普遍存在的老龄化社会和经济决定因素，从而突出强调我们努力改善老年人健康和福祉的重要方向。家庭、工作、社会关系和经济资源等因素对老龄化结果的相对重要性可能在很大程度上取决于个人老龄化的社会、政治和经济环境。例如，在缺乏支持老年人的公共社会和经济规定的国家，家庭在照顾老年人方面的作用可能是决定老年人健康和福祉的更大因素。和个人老龄化的经济环境。例如，在缺乏支持老年人的公共社会和经济规定的国家，家庭在照顾老年人方面的作用可能是决定老年人健康和福祉的更大因素。和个人老龄化的经济环境。例如，在缺乏支持老年人的公共社会和经济规定的国家，家庭在照顾老年人方面的作用可能是决定老年人健康和福祉的更大因素。