[Social situation of the 70-year old population in the past and present. A cohort comparison of 70-year old men and women born in 1987 and 1914 in Glostrup].

A cohort comparison between two different populations of 70 year-olds in Glostrup studied in 1967 (230 men and 210 women) and in 1984 (412 men and 392 women) was conducted for the purpose of identifying differences in social background factors known to have influence on health and the quality of life of old people. The findings show, that from 1967 to 1984, the standard of housing had improved. Significantly more 70 year-olds had better housing conditions with bath, toilet, kitchen and central heating in 1984 (65-92%). Women in the 1914 cohort had significantly longer education and a larger proportion were employed outside the home than in the 1897 cohort. Another significant cohort difference found was a tendency toward earlier retirement in the order of 2-3 years. This was seen for both sexes and all occupational groups. Since the two populations of 70 year-olds in Glostrup differ with regard to both social conditions and on health variables, this cohort comparison offers a useful starting point for research on how living conditions in combination with other factors affect health and aging.