I am a research professor in the departments of Sociology and Population, Family, and Reproductive Health. I also serve as the associate director of the Hopkins Population Center.

I earned my PhD from Duke University. My dissertation was on the effects of demographic change on living arrangements of the elderly in Brazil, from 1960–1980. 

I serve on the board of directors of the Population Association of America, and am a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. I serve on the editorial boards of the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences and Research on Aging.

National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)
NHATS is a new NIA-funded national survey based at Johns Hopkins. It is designed to promote scientific study of late-life disability trends and dynamics; and to advance our understanding of the social and economic impact of late-life functional changes for older people, their families, and society.

National Study of Caregiving (NSOC)
The NSOC is a national study of about 2,000 people who help older family members and friends with their daily activities. Caregivers are linked to the respondents in the NHATS.

How Older Adults Access Online Health Information

In our research, we use innovative technological approaches to study how older Americans navigate the Internet to find information about medical conditions, health care, assistive technologies, and other health-related resources.  

230.341  Sociology of Health and Illness

Agree, EM  (forthcoming) “The Potential for Technology to Enhance Independence for those Aging with a Disability" Journal of Disability and Health

Freedman, VA, JD Kasper, B Spillman, EM Agree, V Mor, RB Wallace, DA Wolf (forthcoming) “Behavioral Adaptation and Late-Life Disability:  A New Spectrum for Assessing Public Health Impacts” American Journal of Public Health

Seplaki, CL, Agree, EM, Weiss, CO, Szanton, SL, Bandeen-Roche, K., & Fried, LP 2013.. Assistive Devices in Context: Cross-Sectional Association Between Challenges in the Home Environment and Use of Assistive Devices for Mobility. The Gerontologist.

Freedman, VA, Agree, EM, Cornman, JC, Spillman, BC, & Kasper, JD 2013.. Reliability and Validity of Self-Care and Mobility Accommodations Measures in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. The Gerontologist.

Zhang Y, M Engelman, EM Agree.  2012. Moving Considerations: A Longitudinal Analysis of Parent-Child Residential Proximity for Older Americans Research on Aging

Agree EM and ME Hughes.  2012. “Demography of Families in Later Life” in the Handbook on Families and Aging, Blieszner and Bedford, eds., New York: Praeger Publishing.

Cunningham SA, KM Yount, M Engelman, EM Agree, 2012. “Returns on Lifetime Investments in Children in Ismailia, Egypt,” Demography

Wakui,T, EM Agree, T Saito, I Kai 2012. “Effects of home, outside leisure, social, and peer activity on psychological health among Japanese family caregivers, Aging and Mental Health 164.: 500-506

Yount KM, S Argeseanu, M Engelman, EM Agree, 2012.  "Gender and Material Transfers between Older Parents and Children in Ismailia, Egypt." Journal of Marriage and the Family, 74: 116 – 131

Agree, EM and VA Freedman, 2011. “A Quality of Life Scale for Assistive Technology: Results from the Pilot Study of Aging and Technology,” Physical Therapy: Special Issue--Improving the Evidence Base for Disability Intervention in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. 9112.:1780-1788

Abbasi-Shavazi, MJ, MH Chavoshi, M Engelman, EM Agree, D Bishai, 2011.  “The health of older women after high parity in rural Iran” Journal of Asian Population Studies, 73.:263-274

Cohen, S., EM Agree, S. Ahmed, E. Naumova.  2011.. “Grandparental caregiving, income inequality, and respiratory infections in US seniors” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 653.: 246–253

Szanton, SL, RJ Thorpe, C Boyd,  EK Tanner, B Leff, EM Agree, QL Xue, JK Allen, CL Seplaki, CO Weiss, J M Guralnik, LN Gitlin.   2011.  “Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders: A Bio-Behavioral-Environmental Intervention to Improve Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Disabled Older Adults” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03698.x

Freedman VA, JD Kasper, J Cornman, EM Agree, K Bandeen-Roche, V Mor, B Spillman, R Wallace, DA Wolf, 2011.. “Validation of New Measures of Disability and Functioning in the National Health and Aging Trends Study”  Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 669.:1013-21

Engelman M, EM Agree, LA Meoni, MJ Klag. 2010.  “Propositional Density and Cognitive Function in Later Life: Findings From the Precursors Study.” Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 656.:706-11.

Engelman M, V. Canudas-Romo, and EM Agree.  2010..  “Improvement and Inequality:  The Implications of Mortality Change for Aging Populations” Population and Development Review, 363.: 511-539

Cohen S., S. Ahmed, EM Agree, E. Naumova  2010.. Childhood Hib vaccination and pneumonia and influenza burden in US seniors. Vaccine, 2828.:4462-9.

Engelman M, EM Agree, KM Yount and D Bishai.  2010.. “Parity and Parents’ Health in Later Life: The Gendered Case of Ismailia, Egypt. Population Studies, 642.:165-78

Cohen S., S. Ahmed, EM Agree, E. Naumova  2010.. "Trends for Influenza and Pneumonia Hospitalization Among the Older Population In The United States:Age, Period, and Cohort Effects" Epidemiology and Infection, 138(8):1135-45

Wong R, MB Ofstedal, KM Yount, EM Agree.  2008. “Lifestyle Risk Factors and their Consequences among Older Adults in Mexico and the U.S.” European Journal of Ageing, Vol. 5, No. 4. pp. 311-326.

Weiss CO, CL Seplaki, JL Wolff, JD Kasper, EM Agree. 2008 “Self-selected walking speed was consistent when recorded while using a cane.” Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 61(6):622-7

Glaser, KF, EM Agree, E. Costenbader , A. Camargo and B. Trench,  2006. “The Effects of Fertility Decline on Family Structure and Support for Older Persons in Latin America And Asia,” Journal of Aging and Health, 18(2): 259-291

Freedman VA, EM Agree, LG Martin, and JC Cornman. 2006 “Trends in the Use of Assistive Technology and Personal Care in Late Life, 1992-2001”  The Gerontologist 46(1): 124-127

Agree EM, VA Freedman, JC Cornman, DA Wolf, JE Marcotte 2005. “Reconsidering Substitution:  Can Assistive Technology Substitute For Personal Care?” Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 60B(5):S272–S280

Wolff JL, EM Agree, and JD Kasper.  2005.  “Canes, Walkers, and Wheelchairs: What Does Medicare Pay and Who Benefits?” Health Affairs, 24(4):1140-1149

Agree EM, AE Biddlecom, TW Valente.  2005. “ Intergenerational Exchanges with Extended Kin in Taiwan and the Philippines,” Population Studies 59(2): 181-195.

Cornman JC, VA Freedman, and EM Agree.  2005. “Measurement of Assistive Device Use:  Implications for Estimates of Device Use and Disability in Late Life,” The Gerontologist, 45: 347-358

Cagney KA and EM Agree 2005. “Racial Differences in Formal Long Term Care: Does the Timing of Parenthood Play a Role?” Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 60(3): S137-S145.

Yount KM and EM Agree.  2005. “Gender Differences in Disability among Older Adults in Egypt and Tunisia.”  Demography, 42(1): 169-187.

Wolff JL and EM Agree, 2004.   “Depression among Recipients of Informal Care: The Effects of Reciprocity, Respect, and Adequacy of Support,” Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. 59: S173-S180.

Yount KM, EM Agree, and C Rebellon  2004. “Gender and Use of Health Care among Older Adults in Egypt and Tunisia”  Social Science and Medicine   59(12): 2479-2497

Agree EM, VA Freedman, and M Sengupta. 2004. “Factors Predicting the Use of Mobility Technology in Community Based Long Term Care” Journal of Aging and Health, 16(2):267-307.

Yount KM and EM Agree, 2004.  “The Power of Older Women and Men in Egyptian and Tunisian Families” Journal of Marriage and the Family. 66 (1): 126-146

Sengupta M and EM Agree. 2003. “Gender Differences in Use of Health Care Services among the elderly in North and South India,”  Asia-Pacific Population Journal, 18(4):53-65.

Agree EM, B Bissett, and MS Rendall. 2003.  Simultaneous Care for Parents and Care for Children among Mid-life British Women, Population Trends, 112:27-34

Agree EM and VA Freedman. 2003. “A Comparison of Assistive Technology and Personal Care in Alleviating Disability and Unmet Need  ” The Gerontologist, 43(3): 142-151.

Sengupta M and EM Agree. 2002.  “Gender and disability among older adults in north and south India: differences associated with coresidence and marriage,” Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 17:313-336

Agree EM, AE Biddlecom, MC Chang, and A Perez. 2002. “Transfers from Older Parents to Children in Taiwanese and Filipino Families,” Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 17:269-294.

Agree EM, AE Biddlecom, TW Valente, and MC Chang.  2001.  “Social Network Measures Of Parent-Child Exchange:  Applications in Taiwan & the Philippines,” Connections 24(2):59-75.

Agree EM, and VA Freedman.  2000.  “Incorporating Assistive Devices into Community-Based Long-Term Care: An Analysis of the Potential for Substitution and Supplementation,” Journal of Aging and Health 12(3):426-450

Agree EM.  1999. “The Influence of Personal Care and Assistive Technology on the Measurement of Disability,” Social Science & Medicine, 48(4): 427-443.

Cagney KA and EM Agree. 1999. “Race Differences in Skilled Nursing Care and Home Health Use:  The Mediating Effects of Family Structure and Social Class,”  The Journal of Gerontology:  Social Sciences, 54B(4): July 1999.