Malta [SHARE Wave 7 Methodology: Panel innovations and life histories]

Abstract

SHARE is of unprecedented importance to researchers’ understanding of the social and health determinants of active and successful ageing. The key reason that motivated our decision to join the SHARE project is that such data are warranted to shed more light on the quandary that whilst the life expectancy has increased gradually in the past 20 years, European rates of healthy life expectancies have not followed similar rates of increase. This finding shows that longevity is much more complex than geneticists and social scientists assume and that the key to understanding better well-being in late adulthood lies in multidisciplinary research. The Malta country team looks forward to the emergent data as to better understand the dynamics of physical, psychological and social capital on one hand and the quality of life of older persons on the other. It is the first time that Malta will have such an extensive pool of data on gerontological and geriatric issues.