altersabhängige

Altersabhängige is a German adjective meaning dependent on age, used to describe phenomena whose occurrence or magnitude varies with age. It is common in scientific and everyday language and translates to the English term “age-dependent.” The phrase can modify nouns such as Unterschiede (differences), Risiken (risks), Merkmale (features), or Erkrankungen (diseases).

In practice, the term appears across disciplines such as biology, medicine, psychology, and demography. Examples include altersabhängige Erkrankungen (age-related diseases), altersabhängige Merkmale (age-dependent characteristics), or altersabhängige Risiken (age-related risks). It is also used in public policy and economics, for example in discussions of altersabhängige Renten or other age-dependent benefits.

Grammatically, altersabhängige is formed from Alter (age) and abhängig (dependent). The base form is altersabhängig, and when used attributively before a noun it takes inflection, for instance altersabhängige Unterschiede (age-related differences) or die altersabhängige Rente (the age-related pension). It can also occur in predicate constructions such as Es ist altersabhängig (It is age-dependent).

Related terms include altersbezogen and altersspezifisch, which convey related ideas about age but with slightly different emphases. The concept of Altersabhängigkeit is frequently analyzed in statistical models that include age as a covariate or factor to explain variations in outcomes.