Emerita Professor Heather Booth
Areas of expertise
- Demography 1603
- Mortality 160304
- Stochastic Analysis And Modelling 010406
- Population Trends And Policies 160305
- Social Change 160805
- Family And Household Studies 160301
Research interests
Researchgate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather_Booth
Heather’s research is situated in the DEMOGRAPHY OF AGEING. This includes:
- The future of structural population ageing through dynamic stochastic modelling. Heather is an international expert in stochastic modelling and forecasting of demographic rates and populations.
- Understanding mortality patterns, gaps and transitions through modelling and decomposition.
- The role of social networks with family and friends in the well-being of older people, and the socio-demography of ageing and longevity.
- Socio-demographic determinants of self-rated health and well-being at older ages.
- The future of longevity and mortality at very old ages, and its implications.
- Microsimulation modelling of disability at older ages.
See also https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather_Booth
Biography
Heather Booth is Professor and Director of Research in the School of Demography in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, and leads the Group on Longevity, Ageing and Mortality (GLAM). She has over 30 years' experience in demographic research in both developed and developing countries. Her more recent work focusses on mortality modelling and forecasting, population ageing, and the socio-demography of longevity.
Heather is an Associate Investigator with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research and an Associate Member of Nuffield College, Oxford. Heather was Founding Editor of the Journal of Population Research (JPR) from 2000 to 2006.
Heather began her career at the London School of Economics before moving to the USA to join the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her doctoral research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Heather developed the Booth Standard for use with the Brass Relational Gompertz Model of fertility. She then undertook research on ethnic minority populations in Britain and Western Europe. In 1984, Heather relocated to Nouméa, New Caledonia, to take up a position as demographer with the South Pacific Commission, working throughout the Pacific Islands. She has also worked as an international consultant with the UN and other funding agencies.
HEATHER'S PUBLICATIONS CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE
Researcher's projects
Social Networks and Ageing Project (SNAP). Funded under an ARC Linkage grant (2010-2012), this project collected unique data and developed new tools. Analysis of survey data is ongoing, including examination of the role of homophily in the health of older people.
Development of DYNOPTAsim, a microsimulation model of age-related disability in Australia. This work stems from the NHMRC/ARC Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project (2007-2012), of which Heather was a Chief Investigator.
Demographic forecasting with a focus on mortality forecasting. Collaborative research with colleagues at Monash University, Macquarie University, and the Paris-based Institut national d'etudes demographiques. This highly cost-effective research uses publicly available data.
Heather is Associate Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR) coordinated by UNSW (2011-2017; 2018-2025).
Heather jointly led (with Zhongwei Zhao) the Interdisciplinary Microsimulation Project (IMP) (2011-2014) funded by the CASS Interdisciplinary Research Fund.
Heather leads the School of Demography Group on Longevity, Ageing and Mortality (GLAM).
Heather is Associate Investigator of the NHMRC-funded project 'Whole of population linked data: Strengthening the evidence to drive improvement in health and health care in Australia' (2018-2023). This project examines educational differences in mortality by cause using the Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (ABS).
See also https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather_Booth
Current student projects
Endogenous Diffusion Model of Entry into First Marriage: Theoretical and Empirical Progress in Nuptiality Models
Modelling Long Term Care in Australia: What Place of Insurance?
Past student projects
The role of social connectedness in the retirement process
Gender, ethnicity and well-being of the elderly in Indonesia
Cardio-vascular mortality in Chinese cities
The experiences and pathways of discontinuing school children in Fiji
Australian mortality in the 19th and early 20th centuries
Modes of aged care Vietnam: adaptation to change
Modelling residential aged care
Online social networking and the well-being of older Australians
Geodemographic and life-course persepectives of ageing in Australia for policy
Healthy Life Expectancy in the Philippines
+ many theses examining demographic processes in developing countries
Publications
- Welsh, J, Joshy, G, Moran, L et al. 2021, 'Education-related inequalities in cause-specific mortality: first estimates for Australia using individual-level linked census and mortality data', International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 1981-1994.
- Welsh, J, Bishop, K, Booth, H, Butler, D, Gourley, M, Law, HD, Banks, E, Canudas-Romo, V & Korda, RJ. 2021, 'Inequalities in life expectancy in Australia according to education level: a whole-of-population record linkage study', International Journal for Equity in Health 20(1):178 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01513-3.
- Abalos, J & Booth, H 2020, 'Factors associated with regional variation in disability-free life expectancy based on functional difficulty among older persons in the Philippines', Asian Population Studies, vol. Online, pp. 1-23.
- Shang, H & Booth, H 2020, 'Synergy in fertility forecasting: improving forecast accuracy through model averaging', Genus, pp. 76-127.
- Booth, H 2020, 'Coherent mortality forecasting with standards: low mortality serves as a guide', in Stefano Mazzuco and Nico Keilman (ed.), Developments in Demographic Forecasting, Springer, Cham, pp. 153-178.
- Cui, Q, Canudas-Romo, V & Booth, H. 2019, 'The mechanism underlying change in the sex gap in life expectancy at birth: an extended decomposition', Demography, vol. 56, pp.2307-2321. DOI: 10.1007/s13524-019-00832-z
- Canudas-Romo, V, Booth, H & Bergeron-Boucher, M-P 2019, 'Minimum death rates and maximum life expectancy: The role of concordant ages', North American Actuarial Journal 23(3), pp.322-334. DOI: 10.1080/10920277.2018.1519448
- de Looper, M, Booth, H & Baffour, B 2019, 'Sanitary improvements and mortality decline in Sydney, New South Wales, 1857-1906: drinking water and dunnies as determinants', The History of the Family, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 227-248.
- Abalos, J, Saito, Y, Cruz, G & Booth, H. 2018, 'Who cares? Provision of care and assistance among older persons in the Philippines', Journal of Aging and Health, vol. Online, pp. 1-20.
- Kingston, A, Robinson, L, Booth, H et al 2018, 'Projections of multi-morbidity in the older population in England to 2035: estimates from the Population Ageing and Care Simulation (PACSim) model', Age and Ageing, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 374-380pp.
- Booth, H 2018, 'The process of population ageing and its challenges', in Zhongwei Zhao and Adrian C Hayes (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Asian Demography, Routledge, London, pp. 431-443.
- Xu, K & Booth, H 2016, Bare Branches - China's surplus men. The consequences of China's one-child policy. Policy Forum (online)
- Booth, H & Xu, K. 2016, Live long, prosper and multiply? The consequences of China's one-child policy, Policy Forum (online)
- Booth, H, Tickle, L & Zhao, J 2016, 'Epidemiologic Transition in Australia: The last hundred years', Canadian Studies in Population, vol. 43, no. 1-2, pp. 23-47.
- Zhao, J, Booth, H, Dear, K et al 2016, 'Cardiovascular mortality sex differentials in selected East Asian and Western populations', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 70, no. 10, pp. 983-989pp.
- Windsor, T, Rioseco Lopez, M, Fiori, K & Booth, H. 2016, 'Structural and functional social network attributes moderate the association of self-rated health with mental health in midlife and older adults', International Psychogeriatrics, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 49-61.
- Booth, H & Gerland, P 2015, 'Demographic techniques: Data adjustment and correction', in James D Wright (ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), Elsevier, Oxford, pp. 126-137pp.
- Booth, H, Rioseco, P & Crawford, H 2015, 'What can reverse causation tell us about demographic differences in the social network and social support determinants of self-rated health in later life?', Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, vol. 2014, pp. 23-51.
- Thristiawati, S, Booth, H, Hull, T, Utomo,I. 2015, 'Self-rated health of older persons in Indonesia: Sex and ethnic differences', Asian Population Studies, vol. online 16 Feb 2015, pp. 1-23.
- Booth, H, Hyndman, R & Tickle, L 2014, 'Prospective Life Tables', in Arthur Charpentier (ed.), Computational Actuarial Science with R, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 319-344.
- Tickle, L & Booth, H 2014, 'The longevity prospects of Australian Seniors: An evaluation of forecast method and out outcome', Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 259-292.
- Yu, Y & Booth, H 2014, 'The changing contribution of smoking to educational inequality in female mortality', Journal of Population Research, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 97-110.
- Booth, H 2013, 'Asia's silver revolution', East Asia Forum Quarterly (EAFQ), vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 14-15. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/04/11/asias-silver-revolution/
- Hyndman, R, Booth, H & Yasmeen, F 2013, 'Coherent mortality forecasting: the product-ratio method with functional time series models', Demography, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 261-283.
- Crawford, H & Booth, H 2013, Staying connected: Social engagement and wellbeing among mature age Australians.
- Booth, H & Rioseco P 2013, Older Australians providing informal care. Fact Sheet 11. Canberra: National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre.
- Booth, H & Rioseco P. 2012, Residential mobility and reasons for moving. Fact Sheet 7. Canberra: National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre.
- Anstey KJ, Kiely KM, Booth H, et al. (2011). 'Indigenous Australians are under-represented in longitudinal ageing studies', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 35(4), pp. 331-336.
- Booth, H & Rioseco, P 2011, Journey time to visit family and friends among National Seniors Australia members. Fact Sheet 2. Canberra: National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre.
- Shang, HL, Booth, H & Hyndman, R 2011, 'Point and interval forecasts of mortality rates and life expectancy: a comparison of ten principal component methods', Demographic Research, 25(5) 173-214.
- Booth, H 2010, 'Ethnic differentials in the timing of family formation: A case study of the complex interaction between ethnicity, socioeconomic level, and marriage market pressure', Demographic Research, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 153-189.
- Booth, H 2010, 'The evolution of epidemic suicide on Guam: context and contagion', Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 1-13.
- Anstey KJ, Byles JE, Luszcz MA, Mitchell P, Steel D, Booth H, Browning C, Butterworth P, Cumming R, Healy J, Windsor TD, Ross L, Bartsch L, Burns RA, Kiely KM, Birrell CL, Broe GA, Shaw J, & Kendig H. (2010). 'Cohort profile: The Dynamic Analyses to Optimize Ageing (DYNOPTA) project'. International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 39(1), pp. 44-51.
- Booth, H 2009, 'The changing face of the Australian population: growth in centenarians', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 190, no. 3, pp. 165-166.
- Booth, H & Tickle, L 2008, 'Mortality modelling and forecasting: a review of methods', Annals of Actuarial Science, vol. 3, no. 1&2, pp. 3-43.
- Hyndman, R & Booth, H 2008, 'Stochastic population forecasts using functional data models for mortality, fertility and migration', International Journal of Forecasting, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 323-342.
- Booth, H & Zhao, Z 2008, 'Age Reporting in the CLHLS: A Re-assessment', in Zeng Yi, Dudley L. Poston, Denese Ashbaugh Vlosky, Danan Gu (ed.), Healthy Longevity in China: Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Psychological Dimensions, Springer, New York, pp. 79-98.
- Anstey, K.J., Butterworth, P., Booth, H., Windsor, T.D., Burns, R., Simons, L.A., Sargent-Cox, K., Byles, J.E., Luzcz, M.A., Gibson, R., von Sanden C., Christensen, H., Shaw, J.E., Broe, G.A., Browning, C., Mitchell, P., Cumming, R.G., & Kendig, H. (2007) The Value of Comparing Health Outcomes in Cohort Studies: An Example of Self-Rated Health in Seven Studies including 79653 Participants. Australasian Journal on Ageing, Vol 26 No 4, 194-200.
- Duncan, R, Booth, H, Zhang, G et al 2006, 'The Young and the Restless: Population Pressures in the Pacific', in (ed.), At Home and Away: Expanding Job Opportunities for Pacific Islanders Through Labour Mobility, The World Bank, Washington, pp. 28-45.
- Booth, H 2006, 'Demographic Forecasting: 1980 to 2005 in Review', International Journal of Forecasting, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 547-581.
- Booth, H, Hyndman, R, Tickle, L et al 2006, 'Lee-Carter Mortality Forecasting: A Multi-Country Comparison of Variants and Extensions', Demographic Research, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 289-310.
- Booth, H, Tickle, L & Smith, L 2005, 'Evaluation of the Variants of the Lee-Carter Method of Forecasting Mortality: A Multi-Country Comparison', New Zealand Population Review, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 13-34.
- Booth, H 2004, 'On the importance of being uncertain: Forecasting population futures for Australia', People and Place, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 1-12.
- Booth, H & Tickle, L 2004, 'Beyond three score years and ten: Prospects for longevity in Australia', People and Place, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 15-27.
- Booth, H 2003, 'The changing dimensions of mortality', in Khoo, Siew-Ean & McDonald, Peter (ed.), The transformation of Australia's population: 1970-2030, UNSW Press, Sydney, pp. 104-128.
- Booth, H 2003, 'Structural adjustment of the marriage market in Fiji', Development Bulletin (Canberra), vol. 62, pp. 118-121.
- Booth, H & Tickle, L 2003, 'The future aged: new projections of Australia's elderly population', Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 196-202.
- Booth, H, Smith, L & Maindonald, J 2002, 'Applying Lee-Carter under conditions of variable mortality decline', Population Studies, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 325-336.
- Booth, H 2001, 'Demographic techniques, data adjustment and correction', in Neil J Smelser, Paul B Baltes (ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (2001), Elsevier, Oxford, UK, pp. 3452-3456.
- Booth, H 2001, 'Trends in mean age at first birth and first birth intervals in the Pacific Islands', Genus, vol. LVII, no. 3-4, pp. 165-190.
- Booth, H & Hayes, A 2000, 'Sixteen Years of JAPA: A Content Analysis of the Journal of the Australian Population Association', Journal of Population Research, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 199-212.
- Evans, A, Booth, H & Cashel, K 2000, 'Sociodemographic determinants of energy, fat and dietary fibre intake in Australian adults', Public Health Nutrition, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 67-75.
- Booth, H 1999, 'Gender, power and social change: youth suicide among Fiji Indians and Western Samoans', Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 108, no. 1, pp. 39-68.
- Booth, H 1999, 'Pacific island suicide in comparative perspective', Journal of Biosocial Science, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 433-448.
- Booth, H 1992 The Migration Process in Britain and West Germany: Two Demographic Studies of Migrant Populations. Aldershot: Avebury, xx + 234pp.
- Castles, S, Booth, H, Wallace, T 1984 Here for Good: Western Europe's New Ethnic Minorities. London: Pluto Press, xii + 259pp.
- Joshua, H, Wallace, T, Booth H 1983 To Ride the Storm: the 1980 Bristol 'Riot' and the State. London: Heinemann Educational Books, vii + 221pp.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Defence Census Longitudinal Analysis (Primary Investigator)
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR I) (Secondary Investigator)
- The role of online social networks in successful ageing: benefitting from 'who you know' at older ages (Primary Investigator)
- Learning How to Age Well from Australian Longitudinal Studies of Ageing (Secondary Investigator)
