“The more we address ageism in our society, the more we’re all going to live longer, healthier lives,” says Julie Ober Allen, PhD, MPH, an Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Health Equity in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Kinesiology.
Allen studies how sources of chronic stress, including ageism and other forms of discrimination, affect people’s behavior, physiology, well-being, and health in later life. Her goal is to find effective ways to promote health and reduce health disparities among older people.
“Ageism is a broad, social and structural phenomenon,” says Allen, who spoke at the UW–Madison Institute on Aging’s Fall Colloquium. “How does it affect our bodies? How does it get under the skin?”
“It’s a source of stress. People are exposed to uncomfortable situations on a regular basis. That can generate fight or flight responses, as well as coping behaviors that may not be good for health.”
Long-term exposure to stress due to ageism can harm health in several ways.
“People who report that they experience more ageism are less likely to engage in health promoting behaviors,” such as exercising or eating healthy food, says Allen. “They’re more likely to engage in risky behaviors, like smoking … or ignoring their doctor’s recommendations.”
As a result, people who frequently experience ageism are at higher risk of developing health issues.
“Individuals who report that they experience more ageism are more likely to have cognitive health and mental health problems, and greater declines in those areas over time,” says Allen. “They tend to have more functional limitations, more chronic pain, more chronic diseases. They tend to have more hospitalizations in an average year, and longer ones and more costly ones. They also tend to recover more slowly, whether from surgery or an accident.”
“The health consequences of ageism are huge,” she stresses. “People who report that they experience more ageism die on average seven and a half years earlier than similarly aged people who report that they don’t experience as much.”
For her research, Allen asks people age 50 and up about what she calls everyday ageism. The questions cover three types of ageism: negative messages, like ads for “anti-aging” beauty products; interactions where people make assumptions, such as assuming older adults can’t use technology; and internalized ageism, for example believing that depression is a normal part of aging.
“We found that over 93 percent of U.S. adults ages 50 to 80 reported that they experienced one or more forms of everyday ageism,” she says. “They were experiencing one or more of these different types on a regular basis.”
Ageism is common but not evenly distributed. According to Allen’s research, people are more exposed to ageism if they are older (age 65 and up), look older, have less education, have lower incomes, live in rural areas, or spend more time with media of any kind.
“If ageism is harmful, then it’s important to understand what groups of people or characteristics put people at increased risk,” she explains. Researchers can then work with higher-risk groups to develop and deliver programs that reduce ageism’s negative impacts.
The good news is that aging isn’t all bad news.
“Many older adults identify important benefits and privileges of being older,” says Allen. These include having more time to pursue their interests and hobbies, feeling a stronger sense of purpose, using their experience to mentor and support others, and being more comfortable expressing themselves.
“People who report more positive experiences of aging have better mental and physical health outcomes,” she says. “They also report fewer experiences of everyday ageism. We think these positive experiences of aging can buffer people from negative societal attitudes and practices.”
Intergenerational activities can help by challenging negative beliefs about aging.
“When people across ages have relationships, they find that ageist stereotypes just don’t make sense anymore,” says Allen. “And they start to dispense with them.”
The health benefits from tackling ageism could be significant.
“Many of the health problems attributed to chronological aging and unalterable biological processes may be caused or at least exacerbated by our societal attitudes and behaviors,” says Allen. “Which means if we can change those attitudes and beliefs, we may be able to prevent some health issues or at least delay their onset.”
–Diane Farsetta