Health Effect of Marriage and Other Social Relationships: Interview With Linda Waite
Social relationships keep older people healthy, and the marriage relationship is especially beneficial. A growing body of research helps explain how social interaction interacts with social, physical, and psychological factors that affect an individual's health, and the importance of maintaining social networks and relationships later in life. Sociologist and demographer Linda Waite discussed her research on these interactions with PRB. (June 2009)

Social Support, Networks, and Happiness
This e-newsletter is the 17th in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Social Support, Networks, and Happiness," reviews research sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, and other research, on the relationships between aging and social connections. (June 2009)

The Changing Demography of U.S. Flight Attendants
Over the last several decades, many industries have experienced significant structural changes that have affected their employees. The airline industry, for example, has faced major policy and economic forces that have changed the demography of its workers, especially its flight attendants. Flight attendants have become older compared with the overall U.S. workforce over the last several decades. The ongoing economic crisis suggests that the population of flight attendants will age even more in the coming years as many workers are likely to postpone their retirement. (June 2009)

U.S. Hispanic and Asian Population Growth Levels Off
U.S. Asian and Hispanic/Latino population growth rates have started to slow, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Latinos and Asians are still the country's two fastest-growing minority groups, but their growth rates have slipped below the peaks reported earlier in the decade. This slowdown could dampen U.S. racial and ethnic change in the coming years. (May 2009)

Effects of Early Life on Elderly Health
This e-newsletter is the 16th in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Effects of Early Life on Elderly Health," reviews research sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, and other research, on the effects of early life on adult and elderly health. (April 2009)

What You Need to Know About the 2010 U.S. Census
With one year to go before the 2010 U.S. Census, what measures are being taken to ensure that Americans participate? How will technology such as handheld GPS systems be used to gather data? Why is the census so important to foundations and nonprofits? What interests and concerns does Congress have? These questions and others were addressed at a policy seminar at PRB on the preparation, challenges, and opportunities of the upcoming census. The seminar also provided a platform for the launch of PRB's Census 2010 coverage. (April 2009)

Economic Recession Presents Further Challenges to Uninsured Children in the United States
One in every 10 children in the United States had no health insurance in 2007, and the cost of insurance to families and employers is rising, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine. America’s Uninsured Crisis: Consequences for Health and Health Care documents an increasing burden on families with children. The economic recession further strains families' resources to provide care for their children. As costs and unemployment rise, employer-sponsored health care is becoming less of a guarantee for families. (April 2009)

U.S. Adult Mortality and Health Trends in an International Context
Eileen Crimmins, professor of gerontology and sociology at the Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California and the Director of Training, Multidisciplinary Research Training in Gerontology, talked with PRB about life expectancy in the U.S. compared with other countries; the reasons for differing mortality trends; and the effects of lifestyle, behavior, and the health care system on mortality. This webcast is underwritten by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, Behavioral and Social Research Unit, through a grant from the University of Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging. Funding has also been provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. (April 2009)

The Effect of Smoking on Trends in U.S Mortality at Older Ages
Samuel Preston is the Fredrick J. Warren professor of demography, Population Aging Research Center, at the University of Pennsylvania. Preston talked with PRB about the current rates of smoking in the United States and its contribution to mortality in the United States and other developed countries. This webcast is underwritten by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, Behavioral and Social Research Unit, through a grant from the University of Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging. Funding has also been provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. (April 2009)

Cognitive Impairment and Decline: Interview With Kenneth Langa, University of Michigan
With continued population aging—the number of Americans ages 65 or older is projected to swell from around 41 million to 65 million over the next 15 years—the loss of cognitive function among some older Americans foreshadows a potentially enormous social and economic burden on individuals, families, communities, and the nation. In this interview, Kenneth Langa, University of Michigan School of Medicine and Institute for Social Research, discusses cognitive impairment and its causes, trends, and effects in the United States. He warns that certain trends may adversely affect the brain health of Americans, especially rising obesity rates and a consequent increase in diabetes, which is also associated with declining cognitive function among older adults. (April 2009)