2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENTIALS IN HEALTH AND ACCESS TO HEATH CARE AMONG OLD-OLD
| Project/Area Number |
13410071
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
社会学(含社会福祉関係)
|
|---|
| Research Institution | OBIRIN UNIVERSITY (2002-2003)
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (2001) |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
SUGISAWA Hidehiro OBIRIN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL, GERONTOLOGY PROGRAM, PROFESSOR, 大学院・国際学研究科, 教授 (60201571)
|
|---|
| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SUGIHARA Yoko TOKYO METROPOLITAN INSTITUTE OF GERONTOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH PROMOTION RESEACH GROUP, SENIOR RESEARCHER, 福祉振興財団・東京都老人総合研究所, 研究員 (80311405)
SHIBATA Hiroshi OBIRIN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL, GERONTOLOGY PROGRAM, PROFESSOR, 大学院・国際学研究科, 教授 (30154248)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2003
|
| Keywords | SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENTIALS / OLD-OLD / HEATH STATUS / ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE / PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK FACTOR |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
1) The purposes of this study:
This study examined magnitude and causes of socioeconomic differentials in health and access to health care among old-old.
2) Methods:
We used a cross-sectional survey data and a three-year longitudinal survey data corrected from a national representative sample aged 70 and over. Socioeconomic status was measured from three aspects, (1) educational attainments, (2) types of the longest job career, and (3) spouses' joint annual income.
3) Major findings from cross-sectional analyses:
(1) Old-old men with lower income status were more likely to have lower level of activities of daily living, cognitive function, or psychological well-being. Other two socioeconomic indicators were not significantly associated with health status. Educational attainment had significant impacts on cognitive function only among old-old women. (2) Psychosocial risk factors at the later life were not related to causes of those socioeconomic differentials. (3) Rates of medical consultation and receiving elderly care services were not significantly associated with socioeconomic indicators after health needs were controlled for.
4) Major findings from longitudinal analyses:
(1) None of socioeconomic indicators did not have significant effects on health status changes among old-old men. Educational attainment had a significant impact on changes in cognitive function among old-old women. (2) Higher educational attainment had significantly lower rates of medical consultation even after health needs were controlled for.
5) Discussion:
Equality of access to medical services may not contribute to reduce socioeconomic differentials in health status among old-old.
|
