Health and Disability Among Working-Age Adults: Trends, Disparities, and Implications for Employment and Federal Programs

Worsening mortality among working-age adults is a significant concern in the United States. Because rising mortality is an indicator of deteriorating population health among adults, it is important to investigate the underlying causes and their implications. At the request of the National Institute on Aging, the Committee on Population of the National Academies convened a workshop to examine what is currently known about trends in disability and disabling morbidity, with the goal for helping to set a research agenda and data priorities. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Table of Contents

Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Defining, Conceptualizing, and Measuring Disability 3 Period and Cohort Trends in Disabling Morbidity - Health and Medical Drivers 4 Population Disparities 5 Contextual Factors: Policy Influences on Morbidity and Disability 6 Workforce and Workplace Trends in Disability and Disability Policy 7 Synthesis and Takeaways - Research Gaps, Data and Measurement Needs, and Policy Directions References Appendix: Workshop Agenda