How the prolongation of life influences public health? This is an excellent topic that you can research. First and foremost, it covers the increased importance of chronic disease management and prevention.
One of the main consequences of living longer is the rise of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and dementia. These diseases are often associated with disability, reduced quality of life, and increased health care costs. Therefore, public health interventions that aim to prevent or delay the onset of these diseases are crucial for improving the health and well-being of the aging population.
According to a study by Diehr et al. (2007), public health interventions that promote health and prevent disease can increase longevity and years of healthy life, while decreasing morbidity and medical expenditures. For example, interventions that reduce the probability of getting sick each year by 12% can increase life expectancy by 3 months and years of healthy life by 6 months, in a cohort beginning at age 65 .
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However, prolonging life also poses new challenges for policy and public health, such as housing, work, retirement, and healthcare. As Plasmans (2018) points out, if the life expectancy increases more than expected, this will have major consequences for the population size and structure . For instance, if mortality is reduced by 50% in 2040, the Dutch population will be 4% larger than expected, and 18% of the people will be older than 75 compared to 15% in the baseline scenario. This will require adjustments in the provision of housing, social security, pensions, and health care services.
Therefore, public health interventions that prolong life should also consider the quality of life and the social determinants of health of the elderly. As Britannica (n.d.) defines, public health is “the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental health, sanitation, personal hygiene, control of infectious diseases, and organization of health services” . Thus, public health should not only focus on extending lifespan, but also on enhancing healthspan: the period of life that is free from serious or chronic illness.
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: Diehr P., Derleth A., Cai L., Newman A.B. (2007). The effect of different public health interventions on longevity, morbidity, and years of healthy life. BMC Public Health 7:52. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-52
: Plasmans M. (2018). What are the consequences if we live longer than expected? European Journal of Public Health 28(suppl_4): cky213.486. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cky213.486
: Britannica (n.d.). Public health. https://www.britannica.com/topic/public-health