The elderly Japanese-American population in California could serve as a model for caring for future aging populations of all ethnicities in the state and across the U.S., according to a study by researchers at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Payers & Providers reports. According to the study, nearly 25 percent of Japanese-Americans are over age 65, twice that of the U.S. population. The study noted that over the next 35 years, the proportion of the U.S. population over age 65 will reach the current percentage of Japanese-Americans at that age. According to the study, the Japanese-American population could serve as a “study cohort,” adding, “Information on key lifestyle and quality-of-life practices that support healthy aging among the Japanese[-American] population can help the U.S. prepare for the influx of aging Baby Boomers.” The study cited several metrics that showed Japanese-Americans outpacing the rest of the population in certain health measures.
May 28
