title: Socioeconomic Correlates of Gender Differential in Poor Health Status Among Older Adults in India.
abstract: Assessment of the health status of the older adults can go a long way in controlling the disease burden and monitoring the path to healthy aging in India. In the absence of a population-based clinical survey to collect data on morbidities and other health conditions through biomarkers, self-rated health by nationally representative older population is used for understanding factors contributing to the gender differential in health status. Socioeconomic status is the most important factor explaining 59% of the gender gap in self-assessed health among older adults. The vulnerability of older women in terms of educational attainment, occupational status, and economic dependency is responsible for the higher level of poor self-assessed health. The gender gap in self-assessed poor health among older Indian adults, which perpetuates over the life course resulting in severe health disadvantages at old age can be reduced considerably through social empowerment and gender sensitive public policies.
authors.affiliation: International Institute for Population Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai, India anamika_anamika20@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Anamika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: International Institute for Population Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Laishram
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ladusingh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: aging; gender differential; self-assessed health; socioeconomic status