Pär Schön defended his doctoral thesis - Gender matters. Differences and change in disability and health among our oldest women and men - at the Department of Social Work at Stockholm University in spring 2011. He is currently working at the Stockholm Gerontology Research Center and at Aging Research Center (Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University).

Pär’s thesis concerns gender differences in health among very old people, and how they have changed over time. The key findings are that women’s poorer health persists up till the oldest ages. Analyses of change over time showed increased prevalence rates of health problems for both sexes, especially women. Results indicate that the years added to life consist of years with poor health.

Pär is also interested in the social policy implications of the developments in the health of very old people, for example how these developments will affect future needs for health and social care services.

Schön P, Parker MG, Kåreholt I, Thorslund M. (2011). Gender differences in associations between ADL and other health indicators in 1992 and 2002. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 23 (2): 91-98.

Schön, P. (2011). Gender matters. Differences and change in disability and health among our oldest women and men. Stockholm Studies in Social Work 29 (doctoral dissertation). Department of Social Work, Stockholm University.

Schön P, Parker MG. (2009) Sex differences in health in 1992 and 2002 among very old Swedes. Population Ageing, 1(2):107-123.

Parker, M. G., Lagergren, M., Schön, P., & Thorslund, M. (2008). Functional ability in the elderly Swedish population from 1980 to 2005. European Journal of Aging, 5(4): 299-304.

Hjalmarson, I. & Schön, P. (2007). Metodhandledning för att utveckla demensvård? Utvärdering av ett projekt inom hemtjänsten i två stadsdelar i Stockholms stad. [Method supervision to develop the care of demented people? Evaluation of a project in the home-help service in two districts in Stockholm municipality]. Rapport 2007:1. Stiftelsen Stockholms läns Äldrecentrum. 

Parker, M. G., Schön, P. & Thorslund, M. (2006). Utvecklingen av de äldres funktionsförmåga [Trends in physical function among older adults]. In J. Vogel (Ed.), Äldres välfärd [Welfare of older adults]. Stockholm: SCB.

Schön, P. & Wånell, S. E. (2006). PRO:s friskvård. En studie om PRO:s friskvårdsverksamhet [The keep-fit activities of the Swedish National Pensioners’ Organisation]. Rapport 2006:6. Stiftelsen Stockholms läns Äldrecentrum.

Norman, E. & Schön, P. (2005). Biståndshandläggare – ett (o)möjligt uppdrag. En översikt av aktuell forskning om biståndshandläggarnas yrkesroll och organisering [Care manager – a (im)possible assignment. An overview of recent research into the occupational role and organisation of Case managers]. Rapport 2005:4. Stiftelsen Stockholms läns Äldrecentrum.

Wånell, S. E. & Schön, P. (2005). Hem ljuva hem. En studie om vad som definierar ett servicehus och ett seniorboende och om hur processen fungerat i Stockholm när servicehus omvandlats till seniorboende [Home sweet home. A study on the definition of service flats and senior housing, and on the process of transforming service flats into senior housing in Stockholm]. Rapport 2005:5. Stiftelsen Stockholms läns Äldrecentrum.