Socioeconomic differences in health over the life cycle in an Egalitarian country.
A strong cross-sectional relationship between health and socioeconomic status is firmly established. This paper adopts a life cycle perspective to investigate whether the socioeconomically disadvantaged, on top of a lower health level, experience a sharper deterioration of health over time. Data are drawn from the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Health Interview Surveys covering the period 1983-2000. The analysis focuses on the self-rated health and disability of persons aged 16-80. We show that in the Netherlands, as in the US, the socioeconomic gradient in health widens until late-middle age and narrows thereafter. The analysis and the available evidence suggests that the widening gradient is attributable both to health-related withdrawal from the labor force, resulting in lower incomes, and the cumulative protective effect of education on health outcomes. The less educated appear to suffer a double health penalty in that they begin adult life with a slightly lower health level, which subsequently declines at a faster rate.
van Kippersluis
Hans
H
Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Electronic address: hvankippersluis@ese.eur.nl.
O'Donnell
Owen
O
University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece; University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
van Doorslaer
Eddy
E
Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Van Ourti
Tom
T
Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult