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Are Canadian Seniors Becoming More Active? Empirical Evidence Based on Time-Use Data*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Charlemaigne C. Victorino  and
Anne H. Gauthier
Charlemaigne C. Victorino
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
Anne H. Gauthier*
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être addressées à : Anne H. Gauthier, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, (gauthier@ucalgary.ca)
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Abstract

In this study, we examine trends in the patterns of time use of seniors in Canada since the 1980s. In particular, we ask whether today's seniors devote more, or less, time to productive activities than 20 years ago. Our inquiry is motivated by the claims that today's seniors are not engaged in ‘active aging.’ This study uses data from a series of time-use surveys carried out in Canada since 1981 to empirically test the validity of this claim. Our results suggest that some shift towards active aging has taken place in Canada since the 1980s; however, this shift involves a complex pattern of reallocation of time that varies by gender and age.

Résumé

Dans cette étude, nous examinons les tendances en terme d'emploi du temps chez les personnes âgées au Canada depuis les années 1980s. Tout particulièrement, nous posons la question à savoir si les personnes âgées aujourd'hui consacrent plus, ou moins, de temps aux activités productives qu'il y a 20 ans. Notre étude est motivée par l'énoncé fait par certains auteurs que les personnes âgées d'aujourd'hui ne poursuivent pas un vieillissement actif (active aging). Notre étude utilise des données tirées d'une série d'enquêtes budget-temps administrées au Canada depuis 1981 afin de tester empiriquement la validité de cet énoncé. Nos résultats suggèrent certains changements vers un vieillissement plus actif depuis les années 1980s. Cependant, ces changements impliquent un modèle complexe de ré-allocation du temps qui varie par genre et âge.

Keywords

older adultstime useactive agingpersonnes âgéesemploi du tempsvieillissement actif
Type
Articles: Symposium: Aging Well
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , Spring/Printemps 2005 , pp. 45 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2005

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Footnotes

*

This paper has benefited from funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (strategic grant). It is part of a larger project on productivity at older ages. We wish to acknowledge the Canadian Journal on Aging reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions regarding this manuscript.

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