Baby boomers are living longer than previous generations, but in poorer health, according to one study.
Research reveals that people born in the late 1940s and 50s are more likely to experience multiple health problems in their later years than their older counterparts, with rates of chronic disease, obesity and disability higher than in previous generations.
The rate of illness has increased across successive generations in England, the USA and Europe during the 20th century. Baby boomers are now one and a half times more likely than previous generations to have cancer, lung disease, heart problems, diabetes and high cholesterol as they enter their 50s and 60s.
The findings published in Journals of Gerontology highlight a phenomenon known as ‘generational health drift’ where younger generations have worse health than the previous generation at the same age, despite advances in medicine and increased health awareness. Such drift will have ‘considerable implications’ for health and social care expenditure, the researchers say.
Using information collected in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the US-based Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Oxford analysed the health and mobility of over 100,000 people from multiple generations of people aged 50 and above in England, the US and continental Europe. The data was collected between 2004 and 2018 and used to examine rates of chronic illness, BMI, mobility issues and disability, grip strength and blood pressure depending on assigned birth cohorts (born <1925, 1925–1935, 1936–1945, 1946–1954, 1955–1959).
The prevalence of chronic disease increased across successive cohorts in all regions. Diabetes rose at the same rate across all regions, whilst diagnoses of cancer, heart problems and high cholesterol increased the most in England and continental Europe.
Increases in lung disease and high blood pressure rates were highest in Europe and the US. In Europe, baby boomers were nearly three times more likely to have chronic bronchitis or emphysema than their earlier-born counterparts.
Obesity increased in all regions over successive generations, except for Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, and Greece). The most significant increases in BMI between generations were seen in Denmark and Sweden, where baby boomers were one and a half times more likely to be obese than previous generations.
The pattern of disabilities varied across regions, with pre-war cohorts showing a decline in disability rates and a reversal for cohorts born since 1945.
Laura Gimeno, lead author of the paper and a PhD student at UCL, said: ‘Our study finds concerning new evidence that more recently born generations are experiencing worsening health as they enter their later years. Despite declining rates of disability for the pre-war generations, chronic disease and increasing obesity may be spilling over into severe disability for the baby boomers.’
She added: ‘However, even with the baby boomers at greater risk of experiencing chronic disease, it is not inevitable that they will experience a worsening quality of life and increasing disability provided these conditions are well managed.’
The researchers warn that with up to a fifth of the population in high-income Western nations now aged over 65, increasing demands for health and social care will have huge implications on government spending.
