Aging well in an aging society: Italy at the forefront of global aging and the Age-It Research Program

Daniele Vignoli, Rco Albertini, Carlos Chiatti, Gianluca Airetti, Giovanna Boccuzzo, Vanna Boffo, Agar Brugiavini, Filippo Cavallo, Simone Cenci, Antonio Cherubini, Febo Cincotti, Fabrizio d’Adda di Fagagna, Carlo Ferrarese, Vincenzo Galasso, Elisabetta Galeotti, Andrea Graziani, Guido Iaccarino, Fabrizia Lattanzio, Claudio Lucifora, Rio Mezzanzanica, Giuseppe Passarino, Anna Paterno, Sabrina Prati, Raffaella I Rumiati, 8rco Sandri, Cecilia Tossini, Alexandra Torbica, Andrea Ungar and Alessandra Petrucci

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2025, vol. 80, issue Supplement_2, S99-S109

Abstract: ObjectivesItaly, one of the world’s super-aged societies, faces profound demographic transfortions amid relevant regional disparities in sociodemographic trends, institutional structures, and economic conditions. These features ke it an ideal laboratory to study both the challenges and opportunities of population aging. This article introduces Age-It, a Research Program designed to leverage Italy’s position at the forefront of global aging to advance transdisciplinary research and inform evidence-based policies and practices on aging.MethodsAge-It adopts a life course perspective encompassing individual, family, and societal levels. It conceptualizes “aging well†as the outcome of multi-agent, multi-context processes unfolding from early life through old age. Furthermore, Age-It moves beyond a multidisciplinary approach by fostering true cross-fertilization between biomedical, sociodemographic, and technological sciences. Structured as an umbrella initiative, the program brings together multiple interlinked projects that address diverse dimensions of aging through transdisciplinary and collaborative research.ResultsThe program addresses key limitations in Italy’s current aging research and policy landscape: fragmented data, disciplinary silos, and weak connections between research and policyking. By integrating biomedical, technological, and socioeconomic perspectives into structured, theory-driven research centers (Spokes), Age-It provides a coordinated and innovative platform for studying aging.DiscussionLeveraging Italy’s unique demographic profile and internal heterogeneity, Age-It promotes sustainable aging by harnessing the opportunities embedded in demographic change. The program ranges from the biology of aging to mental and physical health prevention, long-term care, labor rket dynamics, and social participation—ultitely aiming to reshape how aging is perceived and naged in aging societies.

Keywords: Population aging; Longevity; Aging process; Multimorbidity; Life course (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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