Computational Demography Working Group Meeting: Talk by Tim Thomas from Urban Displacement Project
CSDE Seminar: Estimating Total Fertility from the Shape of the Age Pyramid: Bayesian Models and Applications
Congratulations to CSDE Affiliate Acolin for Tier 2 Seed Grant!
CSDE has awarded CSDE Affiliate and Assistant Professor of Real Estate Arthur Acolin a Tier 2 seed grant for $10,000 for his project, “Accessory Dwelling Units as Potential Source of Affordable Housing Across Generations”. The grant is part of CSDE’s quarterly call for seed grant applications. Seed grants are intended to help faculty initiate new research endeavors, alone or in collaboration, that have a high relevance to population science and a strong chance of building towards extramural funding. Dr. Acolin will conduct a joint project with Nick Welch, a Senior Planner at Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development, to examine the potential impacts of recent Seattle policy changes around accessory dwelling units (including “mother-in-law” apartments) on affordable housing accessibility for seniors and beyond. As part of the grant, Acolin plans to conduct a survey of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) owners and residents as well as owners eligible to add ADUs, to understand the use of ADUs, the experience of residents in ADUs, and barriers to building more ADUs.
Call for Applications: Fall 2021 UW Royalty Research Fund (RRF)
RWJF Call for Proposals: Health Equity Scholars for Action
Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Eliminate Oral Health Disparities (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trials Optional)
Congratulations to Crystal Yu for PAA Best Poster Award!
Congratulations to CSDE Trainee Crystal Yu (Sociology) who was awarded a best poster winner award for “The Demographic Effects of Eliminating Alzheimer’s Disease.” In Crystal’s research, she asks: if Alzheimer’s disease could be eliminated, how many premature deaths can be temporarily averted, and for approximately how long? A degenerative neurological disease that affects components of the brain responsible for cognitive ability and motor function, Alzheimer’s disease mostly affects those over age 65. In tandem with population aging, increasing numbers of older adults are expected to be diagnosed with the disease in the coming years. Indeed, Alzheimer’s is already the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and one of the leading causes of death for adults age 65 and over.
Using cause-specific death statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, along with age-specific population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2018, Yu determines the gains in life expectancy and expected number of deaths averted when Alzheimer’s disease is eliminated as a cause of death using life tables and cause-removed life tables for the U.S. and for all fifty states. Nationally, she finds approximately 1180 deaths per 100,000 population are averted, along with gains of five to eight additional months in life expectancy across the life course.
The spatial variation in expected gains reflect state-level differences in the age distribution and prevalence of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease. Although the predicted gains are small in scale, the social implications can be immense. With larger numbers of older adults predicted to live longer lives, this will have a substantial effect on social policies, planning and budgeting for social services. Moreover, this will likely increase the demand for healthcare workers, care services, and nursing homes, among other related amenities.