Active Aging Index in Vietnam Relative to China, South Korea, Taiwan, and 28 European Union Countries
Tuan-Vu Pham1,2, Hui-Chuan Hsu3, Asghar Zaidi4,5
1Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei.
Objectives:
This study constructed an Active Aging Index (AAI) for Vietnam and compares Vietnam's AAI with those of China, Korea, Taiwan, and 28 countries in the European Union.
Methods:
A survey of 1,105 people aged 55 or above in three provinces from the northern, central, and southern parts of Vietnam was conducted. Active aging was measured using the AAI; its 22 indicators were grouped into four domains: employment, social participation, independent/healthy/secure living, and enabling environments.
Results:
Of the 32 countries reviewed, Vietnam ranked 11th. It ranked high for employment (1st) and social participation (5th) but low for independent/healthy/secure living (32nd) and enabling environments (26th).
Conclusion:
Three policy priorities were identified: maintaining a high preference-driven social and workforce participation rate among older adults; promoting medical care and healthy behaviors among older adults; and improving other poorly performing aspects of active aging, including voluntary activities, poverty risk, Internet usage, and lifelong learning.
