Ageism Amplifies Cost and Prevalence of Health Conditions.
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ABSTRACT: Background and objectives
The persistent status of ageism as one of the least acknowledged forms of prejudice may be due in part to an absence of quantifying its costs in economic terms. In this study, we calculated the costs of ageism on health conditions for all persons aged 60 years or older in the United States during 1 year.Research design and materials
The ageism predictors were discrimination aimed at older persons, negative age stereotypes, and negative self-perceptions of aging. Health care costs of ageism were computed by combining analyses of the impact of the predictors with comprehensive health care spending data in 1 year for the eight most-expensive health conditions, among all Americans aged 60 years or older. As a secondary analysis, we computed the number of these health conditions experienced due to ageism.Results
It was found that the 1-year cost of ageism was $63 billion, or one of every seven dollars spent on the 8 health conditions (15.4%), after adjusting for age and sex as well as removing overlapping costs from the three predictors. Also according to our model, ageism resulted in 17.04 million cases of these health conditions.Discussion and implications
This is the first study to identify the economic cost that ageism imposes on health. The findings suggest that a reduction of ageism would not only have a monetary benefit for society, but also have a health benefit for older persons.
SUBMITTER: Levy BR
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7182003 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Ageism Amplifies Cost and Prevalence of Health Conditions.
Levy Becca R BR Slade Martin D MD Chang E-Shien ES Kannoth Sneha S Wang Shi-Yi SY
The Gerontologist 20200101 1
<h4>Background and objectives</h4>The persistent status of ageism as one of the least acknowledged forms of prejudice may be due in part to an absence of quantifying its costs in economic terms. In this study, we calculated the costs of ageism on health conditions for all persons aged 60 years or older in the United States during 1 year.<h4>Research design and materials</h4>The ageism predictors were discrimination aimed at older persons, negative age stereotypes, and negative self-perceptions o ...[more]
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