Leaving the elderly behind : A qualitative content analysis of the exclusion of older persons’ health in the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract: Although the global population is older than ever before, older persons' health is not necessarily included in policy planning. This study aimed to study how older people were included, excluded, and framed in Agenda 2030. Through qualitative content analysis, the sub-targets and indicators of Agenda 2030 were categorised and analysed. Seven categories were located; Poverty relates to age, Violence relates to age, Political inclusion relates to age, Elderly as a vulnerable group, Health of children and fertile women prioritised, Sexual health, and Youth seen as an investment. By analysing the manifest and latent material, this study showed that older persons are not prioritised in the SDGs and that when they are included, they are framed as vulnerable. While older persons are explicitly included in some ways (such as in political inclusion), they are also excluded from many sub-targets and indicators of Agenda 2030. This study argues that in order to not “leave the elderly behind”, more needs to be done to include older persons and to age disaggregate the data.