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Health inequalities in old age: the relative contribution of material, behavioral and psychosocial factors in a German sample.

ABSTRACT: Background:Whereas the association between education and health in later life is well described, investigations about the underlying mechanisms of these health inequalities are scarce. This study examines the relative contribution of material, behavioral and psychosocial factors to health inequalities in older Germans. Methods:Data were drawn from the fifth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analytic sample included 3246 participants aged 60-85 years. We examined the independent and indirect contribution of material, behavioral and psychosocial factors to the association between education and self-rated health based on logistic regression models. Results:Material factors were most important as they were additionally working through behavioral and psychosocial factors whereas the independent contribution of behavioral and psychosocial factors was much lower than suggested in the separate analyses of the three explanatory pathways. Conclusions:Policy interventions that focus on the improvement of material living conditions might reduce health inequalities in old age. In studies on the underlying mechanisms of health inequalities, material, behavioral and psychosocial factors should be modeled as inter-related predictors as the separate analysis does not reveal their actual contribution so that the relevance of single explanatory pathways might be overestimated.

SUBMITTER: Schmitz AL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6166580 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Health inequalities in old age: the relative contribution of material, behavioral and psychosocial factors in a German sample.

Schmitz A L AL Pförtner T-K TK

Journal of public health (Oxford, England) 20180901 3

<h4>Background</h4>Whereas the association between education and health in later life is well described, investigations about the underlying mechanisms of these health inequalities are scarce. This study examines the relative contribution of material, behavioral and psychosocial factors to health inequalities in older Germans.<h4>Methods</h4>Data were drawn from the fifth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analytic sample included 3246 participants aged 60 ...[more]

PMID: 29294096

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Project description:BackgroundThe magnitude of socioeconomic health inequalities differs across age groups. It is less clear whether socioeconomic health inequalities differ across age groups by other factors that are known to affect the relation between socioeconomic position and health, like the indicator of socioeconomic position, the health outcome, gender, and as to whether socioeconomic health inequalities are measured in absolute or in relative terms. The aim is to investigate whether absolute and relative socioeconomic health inequalities differ across age groups by indicator of socioeconomic position, health outcome and gender.MethodsThe study sample was derived from the baseline measurement of the LifeLines Cohort Study and consisted of 95,432 participants. Socioeconomic position was measured as educational level and household income. Physical and mental health were measured with the RAND-36. Age concerned eleven 5-years age groups. Absolute inequalities were examined by comparing means. Relative inequalities were examined by comparing Gini-coefficients. Analyses were performed for both health outcomes by both educational level and household income. Analyses were performed for all age groups, and stratified by gender.ResultsAbsolute and relative socioeconomic health inequalities differed across age groups by indicator of socioeconomic position, health outcome, and gender. Absolute inequalities were most pronounced for mental health by household income. They were larger in younger than older age groups. Relative inequalities were most pronounced for physical health by educational level. Gini-coefficients were largest in young age groups and smallest in older age groups.ConclusionsAbsolute and relative socioeconomic health inequalities differed cross-sectionally across age groups by indicator of socioeconomic position, health outcome and gender. Researchers should critically consider the implications of choosing a specific age group, in addition to the indicator of socioeconomic position and health outcome, as findings on socioeconomic health inequalities may differ between them.

Project description:Background: Reliable population-based data on the prevalence and characteristics of primary headache across the lifespan are essential. However, robust data are lacking. Methods: We utilized questionnaire data from a random general population sample in Germany, that comprised 2,478 participants aged ?14 years. A standardized questionnaire addressing headache and headache treatment was filled in during the face-to-face survey. Results: The 6-month prevalence of self-reported headache in the total sample amounted to 39.0% (known diagnosis of migraine 7.2%; tension-type headache 12.4%; another diagnosis or unknown diagnosis 23.4%). Age-specific prevalence rates were 37.9% (14-34 years), 44.6% (35-54 years), 38.5% (55-74 years), and 26.9% (?75 years). Compared to age group 14-34, participants aged 35-54 were more (OR = 1.29, 95%-CI 1.05-1.60, p = 0.018) and those aged ?75 were less (OR = 0.55, 95%-CI 0.40-0.76, p < 0.001) likely to have any headache. Of the participants with headache, 79.5% reported headache on <4 days per month, 15.6% on 4-14 days per month and 4.9% on >14 days per month. The frequency of headache did not differ significantly between age groups in men [ ? ( 3 , N = 384 ) 2 = 1.45, p > 0.05], but in women [ ? ( 3 , N = 651 ) 2 = 21.57, p < 0.001]: women aged ?75 years were over-represented in the group reporting 4-14 headache days per month. The analgesic use (days per month) differed significantly between age groups among participants with headache on <4 days per month and on >14 days per month: 1.8 (14-34 years), 2.5 (35-54 years), 3.2 (55-74 years), and 3.4 (?75 years), respectively 7.9 (14-34 years), 11.4 (35-54 years), 18.4 (55-74 years), and 22.8 (?75 years). Conclusions: In general, the prevalence of headache decreases with age. However, older women suffer from more frequent attacks and older participants take analgesics on more days per month than younger participants. This might put them at risk of medication overuse which may lead to medication overuse headache. More research is needed to understand these specifics in headache frequency and treatment behavior in older people.

Project description:BackgroundThe aim of this study was to examine the pattern of social inequality in self-rated health among the employed using the Wright's social class location indicator, and to assess the roles of material, behavioral, psychosocial, and workplace environmental factors as mediating factors in explaining the social class inequality in self-rated health in South Korea.MethodsThis study used data from the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2009. Study subjects included the employed population of 4392 men and 3309 women aged 19-64 years. Subjects were classified into twelve social class positions based on the Wright's social class map. The health outcome was self-rated health. Material, psychosocial, behavioral, and workplace environmental factors were considered as potential mediators in explaining social class health inequality. We calculated prevalence ratios of poor self-rated health according to social class, adjusted for age and mediating factors using Poisson regression models.ResultsNonskilled workers and petty bourgeoisie reported worse self-rated health than other social classes among men. The age-adjusted prevalence of petty bourgeoisie and nonskilled workers were about four-fold greater than that of managers. Expert supervisors in the contradictory class location had a greater prevalence of poor self-rated health than experts in men. In women, the prevalence of poor self-rated health was greater in most social classes than their male counterparts, while the differences among social classes within women were not statistically significant. Workplace environmental factors explained the social class inequality by from 24 to 31% in nonskilled and skilled workers and nonskilled supervisors, respectively, and material factors showed an explanatory ability of about 8% for both nonskilled workers and petty bourgeoisie in men.ConclusionsWe showed the inequality in self-rated health according to the Wright's social class in an industrialized Asian country. Policy efforts to improve workplace environments in nonskilled and skilled workers and nonskilled supervisors would have a moderate effect on reducing the magnitude of social class inequality in self-rated health. Furthermore, the means to improve power relations in the workplace should be devised to further reduce the social class inequalities in health.

Dataset Information

Health inequalities in old age: the relative contribution of material, behavioral and psychosocial factors in a German sample.

Publications

Health inequalities in old age: the relative contribution of material, behavioral and psychosocial factors in a German sample.

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