Dataset Information

Putting cumulative (dis)advantages in context: Comparing the role of educational inequality in later-life functional health trajectories in England and Germany.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The cumulative (dis)advantage (CAD) perspective more and more is examined in a comparative way, to highlight the role of context in generating inequality over the life course. This study adds to this field of research by examining trajectories of activities of daily living (ADL) in later life by educational level in a country comparison of England and Germany, emphasizing differing institutional conditions.

Method

Data used are the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA; 11,352 individuals) and the German subsample of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (SHARE; 5,573 individuals). Using population averaged Poisson panel regression models, 12-year trajectories of six birth cohorts are investigated, covering the age range of 50 to 90 years.

Results

Respondents in England have a higher level of limitations at age 50, and more limited increases over age than in Germany. An educational gradient exists in both countries at age 50. Notably, the educational gradient increases for more recently born cohorts, but declines with increasing age in England, while in Germany educational differences increase for more recently born cohort only.

Discussion

The current study indicates that CAD processes between educational groups are context sensitive. While England showed convergence of disparities with increasing age, in Germany no differential development was found.

SUBMITTER: Wetzel M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7773250 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Putting cumulative (dis)advantages in context: Comparing the role of educational inequality in later-life functional health trajectories in England and Germany.

Wetzel Martin M Vanhoutte Bram B

PloS one 20201230 12

<h4>Background</h4>The cumulative (dis)advantage (CAD) perspective more and more is examined in a comparative way, to highlight the role of context in generating inequality over the life course. This study adds to this field of research by examining trajectories of activities of daily living (ADL) in later life by educational level in a country comparison of England and Germany, emphasizing differing institutional conditions.<h4>Method</h4>Data used are the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing ( ...[more]

PMID: 33378335

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Project description:ObjectivesPrevious studies have shown marital status differences in incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular mortality. This study examines the consequences of partnership on biomarkers related to cardiovascular health of older men and women in Germany and England (C-reactive protein, HbA1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure; and total cholesterol).MethodsData used is from older adults (60 +) from the German Survey of Health and Retirement Europe SHARE (n=955) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing ELSA (n=9707). Life course partnership is measured using the timing (age at first partnership), quantum (number of partnerships) and partnership trajectory. OLS for C-reactive protein, logistic regressions for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and multinomial logistic regressions for cholesterol are used to investigate the associations between life course partnership characteristics and biomarkers, accounting for early age socioeconomic and health conditions.ResultsTiming of first partnership is associated with poor cardiovascular health in England, number of partnership transitions with poor health in Germany, and partnership trajectories are associated with cardiovascular health both in Germany and England. Men in trajectories with multiple marriages have higher CRP, and are more likely to have elevated systolic and diastolic BP. Trajectories containing single marital disruption for men and women are no longer associated with poor health after accounting for selection effects of childhood conditions. Respondents in widowed partnership trajectories have poorer cardiovascular health compared to those in intact committed relationships, whereas cohabitation trajectories do not differ in the associations with biomarkers from those in intact marriage.ConclusionThe results offer better understanding of the pathways through which family events and processes are linked to health and support the hypothesis that adversity related to partnerships over the life course accumulates and contributes to worse cardiovascular health in later life measured by objective health measures.

Dataset Information

Putting cumulative (dis)advantages in context: Comparing the role of educational inequality in later-life functional health trajectories in England and Germany.

Background

Method

Results

Discussion

Publications

Putting cumulative (dis)advantages in context: Comparing the role of educational inequality in later-life functional health trajectories in England and Germany.

Similar Datasets

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