Living arrangements of older adults in Lebanon: correlates of living with married children

Rapid increases in the proportion of older adults in the population present major challenges to policy-makers worldwide. Using a nationally representative sample from the PAPFAM survey in Lebanon, this study examined the living arrangements of older adults [aged . 65 years], and their correlates, with a focus on co-residence with married children. Of 1774 older adults 17.1% co-resided with their married children: 28.1% of the 559 unmarried [widowed/divorced/single] and 11.3% of the 1071 married older adults. Among both the married and unmarried, the likelihood of co-residence was significantly lower in regions outside the capital and decreased with increasing socioeconomic status. Among the unmarried elderly, co-residence with a married child was also significantly associated with increasing age and availability of sons, as well as presence of a vascular disorder and speech problems. While solitary living has traditionally been the focus for policy-makers, older people living with a married child may also be a vulnerable group.

Appraisal of the research grant schemes of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean: the way forward

One way that the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean [EMRO] promotes the important area of health research is by providing research grants within the Region. A desk review of 2 of the EMRO-supported research grant schemes was done to assess: the selection process of the research proposals, the priority areas, country data and information on the principal investigator. The 2 schemes were: EMRO grant for Research in Priority Areas of Public Health, started in 2002, and the EMRO and Organization of Islamic Conference Standing Committee for Science and Technological Cooperation Grant for Research in Applied Biotechnology and Genomics in Health, started in 2004. The paper proposes the following recommendations to enhance benefit from the grant process: create a critical mass of researchers through joint collaboration in proposals and mentoring; instigate a more rigorous process to disseminate the call for proposals more widely and effectively; and include relevant stakeholders in the identification of priority areas for research and overall monitoring of the process