Does gender modify associations between self rated health and the social and economic characteristics of local environments?
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether area level socioeconomic disadvantage and social capital have different relations with women's and men's self rated health.


METHODS
The study used data from 15 112 respondents to the 1998 Tasmanian (Australia) healthy communities study (60% response rate) nested within 41 statistical local areas. Gender stratified analyses were conducted of the associations between the index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage (IRSD) and social capital (neighbourhood integration, neighbourhood alienation, neighbourhood safety, political participation, social trust, trust in institutions) and individual level self rated health using multilevel logistic regression analysis before (age only) and after adjustment for individual level confounders (marital status, indigenous status, income, education, occupation, smoking). The study also tested for interactions between gender and area level variables.


RESULTS
IRSD was associated with poor self rated health for women (age adjusted p<0.001) and men (age adjusted p<0.001), however, the estimates attenuated when adjusted for individual level variables. Political participation and neighbourhood safety were protective for women's self rated health but not for men's. Interactions between gender and political participation (p = 0.010) and neighbourhood safety (p = 0.023) were significant.


CONCLUSIONS
These finding suggest that women may benefit more than men from higher levels of area social capital.
Kavanagh
Anne M
AM
Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. a.kavanagh@unimelb.edu.au
Bentley
Rebecca
R
Turrell
Gavin
G
Broom
Dorothy H
DH
Subramanian
S V
SV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013648:Tasmania