title: Combined Measures of Upper and Lower Body Strength and Subgroup Differences in Subsequent Survival Among the Older Population of England.
abstract: To provide an example of a new methodology for using multiple characteristics in the study of population aging and to assess its usefulness.
  
  
  
  Using the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA), we investigate three characteristics of each person 60 to 85 years old, by level of education, hand-grip strength in 2004 (measured in kilos), chair rise speed in 2004 (measured in rises per minute), and whether the person survived from 2004 to 2012. Because the three characteristics are measured in different units, we convert them into a common metric, called alpha-ages.
  
  
  
  We find that the average of the alpha-age differentials in the measures of upper body and lower body strength predicts educational differentials in subsequent survival better than either physical measure alone.
  
  
  
  This result demonstrates the benefit of combining characteristics, using alpha-ages to convert incommensurate observations into a common metric.
authors: Stony Brook University, NY, USA International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU), Laxenburg, Austria.
authors: Warren C
authors: WC
authors: Sanderson
authors: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU), Laxenburg, Austria Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia scherbov@iiasa.ac.at.
authors: Sergei
authors: S
authors: Scherbov
authors: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU), Laxenburg, Austria.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Weber
authors: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU), Laxenburg, Austria Centre for Research on Ageing and ESRC Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton, UK.
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Bordone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D004522:Educational Status; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D017678:Sex Distribution
keywords: ELSA; chair rise; hand-grip strength; measuring aging; survivorship