Gerontological research in the Netherlands - an inventory.

An inventory of the recently concluded, current and planned gerontological research in the Netherlands has been made. About 160 investigators are committed to this kind of research, on which they spend 71 man years. In terms of manpower, the most effort is spent in social gerontology (76 investigators, 29.23 man years), followed by biomedical gerontology (34 investigators, 23.18 man years) and medical gerontology (50 investigators, 18.60 man years). For the medical and social sciences, it could be calculated that about 0.4 to 1.0%, respectively, of research conducted at the Dutch universities is gerontologically oriented. The emphasis in biomedical gerontology is laid on studies of the immunological system, on general pathology and physiology of laboratory animals, on studies of the liver, heart and vascular system and the central nervous system. The problems are mostly approached from the point of view of biochemistry, physiology and pathology. In medical gerontology the research effort is almost exclusively dedicated to somatic and psychological aspects. Social medical studies in gerontology appeared to be nearly nonexistent. The research interests within medical gerontology are highly diverse. Only vascular diseases and diseases of the skin and sensory organs receive more than 2 man years of scientific research. Most reseach in social gerontology is aimed at psychological and sociological aspects of ageing. In terms of manpower, the following subjects receive more than average attention institutional care and services; home care and services; employment; and housing and housing facilities. A comparable amount of research is devoted to the subjects family conditions and family relations of the aged and social contacts and relations in general. However, the last two subjects are mostly studied in conjunction with other subjects primarily connected with the social roles of the aged in the community. The larger part of the research in gerontology is conducted within a single discipline, such as biomedicine, medicine or the social sciences. Initiative and assignments for investigations originate primarily in the research institutes themselves. These also provide the funding in one-third of the cases. Considerable funding is provided by various department of the government.