title: Life course indices for social determinants of self-rated health trajectory in Korean elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the self-rated health trajectories of the Korean older population and revealed life-course factors that affect the trajectories over the life course.
  
  
  METHODS
  Around 1000 older adults were randomly allocated by stratified multi-stage sampling based on the population census, and underwent face-to-face interviews. Self-rated health status, socioeconomic variables over the life course, and demographic variables were included in the analysis. A group-based trajectory model was used to investigate the association between self-rated health and explanatory variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The enrolled men and women were divided into three groups by trajectory analysis, which showed marked differences in self-rated health trajectories from childhood to senescence. Among older men, those who experienced skipping meals in childhood and those with chronic disease conditions were more likely to be in the lower trajectory groups. Compared to the older men, the likelihood of being in the lower trajectory groups in older women was increased by experience of skipping meals, lower household income, housekeeping labor, receiving Basic Livelihood Security and chronic disease conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Various self-rated health trajectories of the Korean older population were identified, and differed according to socioeconomic variables during their life course. Therefore, socioeconomic variables during the life course should be monitored, and health policies directed at the elderly should focus on initial health status from the perspective of a life-course approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jiae
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Administration, Jungwon University, Goesan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Heeran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyunghee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung-Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Administration, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Minah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Red Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: sjang@cau.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Soong-Nang
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D057566:Self Report; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Health trajectory; Life course; Self-rated health; Social determinants; Socioeconomic position