Economic Status of Older People

ABSTRACTIt is noteworthy that while modernisation, together with population ageing, has happened in Western countries for a rather long period of time, China must confront the challenges of an ageing population before it really becomes an advanced industrial society. Facing rapid societal changes, citizens may react differently to this process. By conducting questionnaire surveys with 445 elders in Wuhan, China, this study examines Chinese older adults' individual modernity modes and reveals its socio-demographic correlates. The results show that facing rapid changes in societal modernisation, participants have reacted differently to this process, with 23.8 per cent of Chinese older participants using an accommodation mode, 27.0 per cent using a resistance mode, 13.3 per cent using a withdrawal mode and 36.2 per cent using a coping mode. In addition, socio-demographic factors such as urban–rural residence, age, gender, socio-economic status, living arrangement and daily activities have been identified as significant correlates of Chinese older participants' individual modernity modes. It is further suggested that governments at all levels should allow for options and opportunities for older people to align themselves in the modernisation process by removing the barriers that may hinder their integration and empowerment efforts. While it is important to respect older adults' different responses in the face of modernisation, their participation in societies should be encouraged and respected by the wider society in the context of modernisation.

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Associations between socio-economic status measures and functional change among older people in Taiwan

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x05003478 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 377-395 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

HERNG-CHIA CHIU ◽

YING-HUI HSIEH ◽

LIH-WEN MAU ◽

MEI-LIN LEE

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Economic Status ◽

Functional Change ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Economic Resource ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Level Of Education ◽

Socio Economic Status ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

The major purpose of this study was to examine the effects of socio-economic status (SES) on changes in functional abilities, as measured by Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scales, among older people in Taiwan. A prospective longitudinal study design was used. A panel of 874 community-dwelling older people were followed over four years (1994 to 1998). Three SES indicators, education, having ‘extra’ money (more than required for basic necessities), and principal lifetime occupation were included in separate multiple logistic regression models of functional change in physical ADL (PADL) and in instrumental ADL (IADL). Over the four years, the study cohort experienced greater decreases in IADL functioning than in PADL functioning. Having ‘extra’ money was significantly and negatively associated with PADL decline, while level of education had a strong positive relationship with IADL functioning. In addition to SES, age was significantly associated with PADL and IADL functioning change. The paper also reports a comparison of similar findings from several eastern and western countries. This has established that among the available SES indicators, the level of education has most consistently been shown in both eastern and western population studies to be related to health and health change, and that self-perceived economic resource is also related to older people's health in Asian populations.

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Relationship between Perceived Indoor Temperature and Self-Reported Risk for Frailty among Community-Dwelling Older People

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16040613 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 613 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yukie Nakajima ◽

Steven Schmidt ◽

Agneta Malmgren Fänge ◽

Mari Ono ◽

Toshiharu Ikaga

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Economic Status ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Indoor Temperature ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Economic Satisfaction ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Community Dwelling Older People

This study investigated the relationship between perceived indoor temperature in winter and frailty among community-dwelling older people. This cross-sectional study included 342 people 65 years and older in Japan. Participants answered questions about demographics, frailty, housing, and perceived indoor temperature in winter. Participants were grouped based on perceived indoor temperature (Cold or Warm) and economic satisfaction (Unsatisfied or Satisfied). Differences in the frailty index between perceived indoor temperature groups and economic satisfaction groups were tested by using ANCOVA and MANCOVA. An interaction effect showed that people in the Cold Group and unsatisfied with their economic status had significantly higher frailty index scores (F(1, 336) = 5.95, p = 0.015). Furthermore, the frailty index subscale of fall risk was the specific indicator of frailty that accounted for this significant relationship. While previous research has shown the risks related to cold indoor temperature in homes, interestingly among those who reported cold homes, only those who were not satisfied with their economic situation reported being at increased risk for frailty. This highlights the potential importance of preventing fuel poverty to prevent frailty.

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The real inequalities

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.693 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

C Bambra ◽

A Reeves

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Health Inequalities ◽

Economic Status ◽

Intergenerational Transfers ◽

Older Population ◽

The Real ◽

Socio Economic Status ◽

Working Age ◽

The Many ◽

Significant Health

Abstract Background The ‘greedy geezer’ and ‘poor elderly’ narratives both assume that the older population are homogeneous and that the experiences of older people are universal. This ignores the fact that there are significant health inequalities (i) amongst the older population and (ii) in terms of who gets to be ‘old’ (and for how long). Further, the focus on intergenerational inequality is a deliberate distraction from the far more significant health inequalities that exist in terms of gender, geography, ethnicity, socio-economic status etc across the whole population - regardless of age. Methods Health inequalities amongst the older population and inequalities in terms of who gets to be ‘old’ will be examined through health inequalities across the population by gender, geography, ethnicity, socio-economic status etc. Results Given, for example, that total intergenerational transfers incorporating private transfers are from the older to the younger, it is quite possible that if we reduce public intergenerational transfers (working age to older) then all we are doing is increasing inherited inequality. Conclusions Policy focused on ‘intergenerational equity’ and ‘intergenerational accounting’ will often exacerbate inequalities within generations, to the benefit of the wealthiest and the detriment of much of the population. Win-win solutions only emerge if there is a focus on addressing the many and more profound health inequalities that cross-cut generations.

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Path analysis of suicide ideation in older people

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610213002366 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 509-515 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Seolmin Kim ◽

Jee Hyun Ha ◽

Jaehak Yu ◽

Doo-Heum Park ◽

Seung-Ho Ryu

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Path Analysis ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Economic Status ◽

Well Being ◽

Depression Severity ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Factors Associated

ABSTRACTBackground:Suicide among older people is one of the most rapidly emerging healthcare issues. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with suicide ideation in the aged population in South Korea.Methods:The study recruited 684 subjects older than 65 years old (males = 147, females = 537, mean age = 78.20±7.02 years), and trained interviewers performed the interviews. The study was performed as part of a community mental health suicide prevention program. The subjects’ socio-demographic data, physical health, alcohol problems, social relationships, psychological well-being, and depression severity were all considered. The Korean version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (K-BSI) was used to evaluate the intensity of suicide ideation. Correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with the K-BSI. The study results were tested using a path analysis.Results:Depression severity was positively correlated with suicide ideation, and economic status, psychological well-being, and social relationships were negatively correlated with suicide ideation. Depression severity had the largest direct impact, and economic status and social relationships had indirect impacts on suicide ideation. Psychological well-being exerted both direct and indirect influences.Conclusion:Depression severity was the most important predictor of suicide ideation among older people. Other direct and indirect factors played secondary roles. Effective suicide prevention strategies should focus on early detection and active intervention for depression. Socio-economic programs may also indirectly reduce suicide ideation among the aged population.

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Unmet need for social care among older people

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x17001118 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 657-684 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

ATHINA VLACHANTONI

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Activities Of Daily Living ◽

Family Environment ◽

Daily Living ◽

Social Care ◽

Economic Status ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Later Life ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Older Individuals

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the nature and extent of unmet need for social care among older people is a critical policy priority in the United Kingdom and beyond, as national governments juggle the provision of adequate social care for a growing older population with competing funding priorities. Several factors can heighten the experience of unmet need among older people, for instance their family environment, and their health and socio-economic status. This paper contributes empirical evidence on the patterns of unmet need for social care among older people in England today, focusing on the individual characteristics associated with experiencing unmet need in relation to mobility tasks, activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The results show that about 55 per cent of older individuals with an ADL difficulty had unmet need, compared to 24 per cent of those with an IADL difficulty and 80 per cent of those with a mobility difficulty. Characteristics reflecting greater vulnerability were more strongly associated with the risk of experiencing unmet need for ADLs, and such vulnerability was greater for particular ADLs (e.g. bathing), and for a higher number of ADLs. The findings reaffirm the complexity of conceptualising and empirically investigating unmet need in later life, and add to our understanding of the challenges of providing adequate and appropriate social care to older people.

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The Elders: A New Generation

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x00005985 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 313-331 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sidney Jones

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Old Age ◽

Social Life ◽

Personal Experience ◽

Economic Status ◽

Later Life ◽

Voluntary Activity ◽

Scientific Images ◽

Life Education ◽

New Generation

ABSTRACTDrawing upon evidence from Britain, this paper advances the proposition that new generations of older people are experiencing a healthier, materially better off and more satisfying old age. It is argued that both popular and scientific images of later life are out-dated and unduly negative. In advancing this analysis, attention is given to key areas of personal experience and social life: education, leisure and holidays, retirement, voluntary activity, spirituality, economic status, health and political involvement. A re-construction of the societal position of older people is indicated.

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Economic Status, Family Dependence, and Health Outcomes of Older People in Western Rural China

Journal of Gerontological Social Work ◽

10.1080/01634372.2019.1676860 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (7) ◽

pp. 762-775 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Wei Guo ◽

Lijuan Chen ◽

Cristina Perez

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Rural China ◽

Economic Status

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Spatial Variability of Health Inequalities of Older People in China and Related Health Factors

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17051739 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 1739 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mengqi Yang ◽

Mark W. Rosenberg ◽

Jie Li

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Older People ◽

Health Inequalities ◽

Population Aging ◽

Economic Status ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

National Level ◽

Unintended Consequences ◽

Child Policy ◽

The One

China is facing serious population aging issues because of many unintended consequences of the economic reforms that began in the 1980s and with social policies such as the “one child” policy. Understanding the spatial distribution of the health status of older people has attracted more and more attention in many countries, including China. By employing descriptive analysis, this study uses data from the Chinese Population Censusand Statistical Year Bookto explore the health inequalities of older people at the national level. Based on the Getis-Ord Gi*, this study finds that the uneven spatial distribution of socio-economic status results in health inequalities for older people at the national level. The geographic distribution of life expectancy was correlated with a number of important demographic, socio-economic, and environmental variables. For further research, investigations should be conducted among individuals at micro-geographic scales.

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