Associate ProfessorKate O'Loughlin

Project Opportunities

Title: Socio-economic determinants and health inequalities over the life course

Summary of opportunity:

This project will examine how life experiences of the baby boom cohort (born 1946-1950) influence health, productivity, well-being, and pension and service use at ages 60 to 64 years in 2010-11.
We aim to determine how:

1. Health inequalities and health actions in late middle-age are influenced by accumulated variations in family, occupational, and economic exposures from childhood onwards.
2. Socially structured life-course experiences, health outcomes, and health behaviours vary between men and women.
3. Australian and English life outcomes reflect different societal and policy developments since WWII.
4. Migration impacts on life-course outcomes by comparing native-born Australians, native-born English, English migrants to Australia, and other migrants to Australia.

Opportunity synopsis:

The project will identify and enhance understanding of:

• The influences of socio-economic disadvantage earlier in the life course and during critical periods of history for potentially accumulating inequalities in health, work opportunities, and well-being as both women and men grow older.
• The interplay between the socio-economic determinants of health, e.g. between family and parenting, employment and workplaces, that potentially can be improved through individual action and government strategies.
• How improving health for ageing Australians can increase productivity and limit needs for health services during the unprecedented period of ageing that lies ahead.
• What is distinctly Australian about the post-war experience through comparisons between Australia and England, in light of our immigration program and socio-economic developments.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Aged Care Services - Investigating pathways of home and community care service use

Summary of opportunity:

This program is being conducted in collaboration with Professor Julie Byles (Newcastle University) as part of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing research (CEPAR).  We are developing methods and capacity to use health services and survey data to examine ways in which the use and impacts of health and aged care services change as people grow older and to provide information that can inform health care service delivery, planning and policy. The program will also develop methods for using longitudinal and linked data to evaluate health care innovations and programs aimed at addressing the health and care needs of an ageing population. This research capacity could be used for Phd theses on a variety of topics, for example, determinants of hospital use or the service impacts of key transitions such as the onset of disability, reduced social support, service availability.

Opportunity synopsis:

Australia urgently requires information to guide and monitor major health reforms anticipating massive population ageing and increasing demand on health services. Of particular relevance are the challenges of redesigning care for those with chronic and complex conditions, integrating services, and improving distribution and access to services on the basis of need. Such improvements in care require a better understanding of how services respond to changes in health state, movements and interfaces between acute, community and residential care settings, and variations in social and economic contexts. Linkages between longitudinal survey and health services use data is essential to identify how specific health service usage relates to individual changes in physical and mental health and provides the ideal evidence base for understanding these multiple, complex and pressing issues.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Carers and Employment

Summary of opportunity:

This program is being conducted as part of a three-way international collaboration of World University Network members (Sydney, Leeds and Alberta) focussing on multi-disciplinary and policy-relevant research, and draws on existing Australian and international data sources and research expertise located within the ARC funded Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR).  Population ageing is a global phenomenon whose impact on working age populations is inadequately researched and understood. Research is needed to establish a knowledge base on the inter-related factors of work, caregiving, and health for older workers. A key issue for policymakers worldwide is how people in later working life (itself extending to later ages) can care for, or otherwise support, growing numbers of older people unable to be fully independent because of illness or disability.  

Opportunity synopsis:

The societal effects of population ageing are not well understood, particularly in terms of older workers’ often competing demands of employment and care giving responsibilities, and the influence of these on their health and well-being. As governments will look to evaluate the effects of policy on older workers’ health, there will be an increasing demand for expertise in population ageing to inform governmental decision making.  The research program will focus on gaining an understanding of the relationship between caregiving, work, and related policies including the economic (eg, productivity, reduced working hours) and non-economic (eg, social, health) consequences of caregiving. An important component is examining who is providing care (eg, gender, age) and the consequences on paid employment and career opportunities for individuals and families.

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Project Opportunities

Title: 'Attitudes towards Ageing'

Summary of opportunity:

This attitudinal research program is being led by Dr Kate O’Loughlin as part of ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR). We aim to investigate people’s attitudes towards ageing in a variety of contexts.  This research capacity could be used for PhD theses on a variety of topics, for example, the effects of age discrimination in the work place, the effects of age discrimination on health and wellbeing along with investigations into the outcomes of those with negative attitudes towards ageing.

Opportunity synopsis:

The rights and self respect of older people depends largely on their ‘social treatment’ in everyday life but there is growing evidence that they are facing negative attitudes and outright discrimination that limits their contributions and well-being.   Ageism is arguably the last of the ‘isms’, after sexism and racism, to be recognised and confronted; negative views arguably are increasing along with rising concerns about intergenerational equity and the costs of an ageing population (The Treasurer’s Intergenerational Report, 2010).  The Age Discrimination Act (ADA) of 2004 (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2004) aims to address these problems but there is little evidence to date on its effectiveness or on the knowledge required to guide effective action against age discrimination and promote positive attitudes towards ageing. This project draws on existing Australian data sources including The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes (AuSSA) and The Household, Income and labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA). Comparative international analysis on this topic is both feasible and desirable, and will strengthen the policy usefulness of the analyses undertaken.

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Project Opportunities

Title: 'Productive Ageing' � Ageing and productivity in the workforce

Summary of opportunity:

This program is being conducted as part of the Health and Productivity research program led by Professor Hal Kendig at the University of Sydney node of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR). Ageing well and productively comprise inter-related work and health dimensions. The broader Health and Productivity research program will examine ways in which health and psycho-social factors influence productive contributions (including workforce participation and care giving) as well as independence, wellbeing, and use of health and community services.

Opportunity synopsis:

The global significance of ageing well and ageing productively has been brought back to the forefront by three major worldwide trends. First, the demographic trend of people living longer, healthier lives, will mean greater proportions of healthy individuals living well into their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Second, there is an economic impetus with many governments and policy makers implementing strategies aimed at encouraging older people to remain healthy and productive for longer to minimise dependence in strictly economic terms. Third, there is a social/cultural trend with many older people showing less inclination to retire in the more traditional sense from career work to near-total leisure, and choosing to (if possible) remain active participants in society and continue their engagement in productive activities. Research on productive ageing recognizes that individuals can and often do continue their engagement in activities that have socioeconomic value within their social context, as they age. The research program will include empirical analysis of longitudinal data collected by the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, a household-based panel study conducted annually since 2000. The vast amount of information collected from subjects, and the longitudinal research focus provides multiple opportunities for PhD-level research on productive ageing. This research capacity could be used for PhD theses including examining the interplay between health and productivity over the life course, and investigating the determinants and consequences of productive activities, particularly for older people. There will be a focus on potentially changeable actions by individuals and governments that can maintain or improve capacities and beneficial consequences for productivity and wellbeing.

----------Current Research Projects----------

_x000D_ Kate is involved with programs on healthy and productive ageing as an Associate Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR) (2011-2017).

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