Biodemography of Aging, Morbidity, and Mortality

This line of research tests and extends previous theories and models of biodemography of aging to improve our understanding of secular trends, social patterns, and demographic mechanisms of aging and mortality that has profound implications for current and future population health and policy. Employing population-level data on chronic diseases, obesity, and mortality rates and advanced mathematical modeling techniques, my prior work assesses the influences of population heterogeneity and social historical forces and demographic contexts on the dynamics of aging and survival. My recent research has expanded to emerging trends in population morbidity and mortality of increasing concern to public health, such as the obesity epidemic and its impact on life expectancy in the U.S., racial/ethnic disparities in midlife mortality, and increasing early-onset colorectal cancer incidence and cannabis use.

Representative publications:

Li, T., Yang, Y. C., & Anderson, J. J. (2013). Mortality increase in late-middle and early-old age: Heterogeneity in death processes as a new explanation. Demography, 50(5), 1563–1591. 

Masters, R. K., Reither, E. N., Powers, D. A., Yang, Y. C., Burger, A. E., & Link, B. G. (2013). The impact of obesity on U.S. mortality levels: The importance of age and cohort factors in population estimates. American Journal of Public Health, 103(10), 1895–1901. 

Yang, Y., & Lee, L. C. (2010). Dynamics and heterogeneity in the process of human frailty and aging: Evidence from the U.S. older adult population. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 65B(2), 246–255.

Zang, E., Zheng, H., Yang, Y. C., & Land, K. C. (2019). Recent trends in U.S. mortality in early and middle adulthood: Race/ethnic disparities in inter-cohort patterns. International Journal of Epidemiology, 48(3), 934–944.

Zheng, H., Yang, Y., & Land, K. C. (2011). Heterogeneity in the Strehler-Mildvan general theory of mortality and aging. Demography, 48(1), 267–290.