Federal Institute for Population Research

Old Age Potential and Later Life Transitions (OPAL)

Content and Objectives

In this context, "potential" includes both planned and already realised forms of formal and informal participation (such as prolonged labour force participation, civic engagement or family care work) as well as the resources available for this (e.g. health, education, income and wealth) and the underlying attitudes, intentions and life goals. There are still considerable gaps in research, particularly with regard to the realisation of activity intentions and the relevant opportunities and restrictions. The OPAL project contributes to closing these gaps with empirical analyses of secondary data.

The potential of older people plays a decisive role in shaping demographic change and for intergenerational cohesion. This makes the project highly relevant in socio-political terms. This will become increasingly important in the coming years as the baby boomers of the 1950s and 1960s reach retirement age. In this context, the health consequences of a prolonged working life are at the forefront alongside questions of prolonged labour force participation. The results of the "Transitions and Old Age Potential" study completed by the research group at the end of 2021 have already made it clear that the transition into retirement today can be equated less and less with the beginning of the old age phase of life, but rather places new demands on individuals and society. These demands are significant for the promotion of the potential of older people, as they can represent both opportunities and barriers. OPAL aims to further develop these questions both methodologically and conceptually and thus strengthens social and behavioural research on ageing as a key topic of Research Group 3.1 "Ageing and Ageing".

Empirical findings on the potential of older people from a national and international perspective can help to actively utilise the years gained in older adulthood both for the individual and for society and to improve the quality of life of all population groups. OPAL also benefits from many points of contact with other BiB research groups as well as with external project partners. For example, issues relating to the life situation of older migrants, which are to be dealt with more intensively in the OPAL project in future, overlap with other research areas at the BiB, as does the life course perspective. This is to be explored in greater depth in the course of the OPAL project. In particular, the aim is to analyse how critical life events in the life course (e.g. death of a partner or environmental influences in early phases of life such as air pollution) influence health and well-being in different phases of life.

Data and Methods

Data from three waves of the study "Transitions and Old Age Potential" (TOP) as well as the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), the German Volunteer Survey (FWS) the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) or the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) are used for the analysis. In addition, administrative data from the German Pension Insurance (DRV) or the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) as well as data sets from the IAB and the microcensus are also taken into consideration.

Duration

since 11/2021

Partners

  • Prof. Dr. Sonia Lippke, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany
  • Prof. Dr. Martina Brandt, Dr. Alina Schmitz, Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany
  • Laura Schmitz, Julie Tréguier, Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Berlin, Germany
  • Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfragen, Berlin, Germany
  • Laia Bosque-Mercader, Centre for Health Service Economics and Organisation, Nuffield, Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, GB

Selected Publications

Mergenthaler, Andreas; Klüsener, Sebastian (2023):

In: Hank, Karsten; Wagner, Michael; Zank, Susanne (Eds.): Alternsforschung. Handbuch für Wissenschaft und Studium. 2. Auflage. Baden-Baden: Nomos: 659–684.

Barschkett, Mara; Geyer, Johannes; Haan, Peter; Hammerschmid, Anna (2022):

The Journal of the Economics of Ageing 23. [begutachtet]

Cihlar, Volker; Reinwarth, Anna; Lippke, Sonia (2022):

In: Teti, Andrea; Nowossadeck, Enno; Fuchs, Judith; Künemund, Harald (Eds.): Wohnen und Gesundheit im Alter. Vechtaer Beiträge zur Gerontologie. Wiesbaden: Springer VS: 55–75. [begutachtet]

Mergenthaler, Andreas; Micheel, Frank (2021):

Statistisches Bundesamt; Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung; Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (Eds.): Datenreport 2021. Ein Sozialbericht für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Reihe Zeitbilder. Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung: 367–377.

Micheel, Frank (2021):

Journal of Aging & Social Policy 33,2: 101–119.

More Publications

Mergenthaler, Andreas; Brandt, Martina; Klüsener, Sebastian (2023):

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Reihe zu Demographischem Wandel, 9.

Barschkett, Mara; Spieß, C. Katharina; Ziege, Elena (2022):

BiB Working Paper 2/2022. Wiesbaden: Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung.

Mergenthaler, Andreas (2022):

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 2/2022: 3–7.

Micheel, Frank (2021):

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 3/2021: 8–12.

Reinwarth, Anna; Cihlar, Volker (2021):

Bevölkerungsforschung Aktuell 3/2021: 3–7.

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