Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T17:28:28.281Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Association Between Self-reported Income and Perceived Health Based on the Ontario Longitudinal Study of Aging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

John P. Hirdes ,
K. Stephen Brown ,
William F. Forbes ,
Debby S. Vigoda  and
Lawrence Crawford
John P. Hirdes
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo
K. Stephen Brown
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo
William F. Forbes
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo
Debby S. Vigoda
Affiliation:
Consultants
Lawrence Crawford
Affiliation:
Consultants
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An analysis of the data from the Ontario longitudinal study of aging was carried out to investigate the associations between self-reported income and perceived health status, using cross-tabulations and logistic regression models. Reported income, educational level, and smoking status were associated with perceived health status. Reported income was associated with perceived health status independently of the effects of education and smoking. The data also indicate that changes in income are related significantly to changes in perceived health status. A reduced income was associated with a worsening of health and a weak relationship was apparent between increased income and better health. The analyses further suggest that income changes precede health changes. The possible mechanisms through which an income change may lead to health changes are discussed.

Résumé

Une analyse du Ontario Longitudinal Study on Aging (Etude longitudinale sur le vieillissement en Ontario) a été effectuée en vue d'examiner par la méthode des classifications croisées et de la régression logistique le rapport entre le revenu déclaré et la perception de l'état de santé. Le revenu déclaré, le degré d'instruction et l'usage du tabac sont associés à la perception de l'état de santé. L'association entre le revenu déclaré et la perception de l'état de santé est indépendante de l'incidence de l'instruction et du tabac. Les données indiquent l'existence d'une relation significative entre la variation du revenu et la perception de l'état de santé. La diminution du revenu est associée à une aggravation de l'état de santé, et il existe une relation faible entre l'augmentation du revenu et l'amélioration de la santé. Les analyses effectuées permettent également de croire que les variations de revenu précèdent les changements dans l'état de santé. Des considérations sur les mécanismes susceptibles d'expliquer le lien entre la variation du revenu et les changements survenant dans l'état de santé terminent l'étude.

Keywords

longitudinal analysisself-reported incomeperceived health
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , Autumn/L'automne 1986 , pp. 189 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Berkman, L.F. & Syme, S.L. (1979). Social Networks. Host Resistance, and Mortality: A Nine-Year Follow-up Study of Alameda County Residents. American Journal of Epidemiology, 109(2), 186–204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blazer, D.G. (1982). Social Support and Mortality in an Elderly Community Population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 115(5), 684–694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brenner, M.H. (1979). Mortality and the National Economy. Lancet (Sept. 15), 568–573.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brody, E.M., & Kleban, M.H. (1981). Physical and Mental Health Symptoms of Older People: Who Do They Tell? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 29(10), 442–449.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cassel, J. (1976). The Contribution of the Social Environment to Host Resistance. American Journal of Epidemiology, 104(2), 107–123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cockerham, W.C., Sharp, K. & Wilcox, J.A. (1983). Aging and Perceived Health Status. Journal of Gerontology, 38(3), 349–355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crawford, L. (1963). Socio-Medical Aspects of Twenty Year Study. Applied Therapeutics, 5, 152–154.Google Scholar
Crawford, L. & Matlow, J. (1972). Some Attitudes Toward Retirement Among Middle-Aged Employees. Industrial Relations, 27(4), 616–626.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Estes, C.L., Gerard, L.E., Zones, J.S. & Swan, J.H. (1984). The Social Creation of Dependency. In Henricks, J., & Kastenbaum, R. (Eds.) Political Economy, Health and Aging (pp. 77–85). Toronto: Little, Brown and Company.Google Scholar
Ferraro, K.F. (1980). Self-Ratings of Health Among the Old and Old-Old. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 21(4), 377–383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fillenbaum, G.G. (1979). Social Context and Self-Assessment of Health Among the Elderly. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 20(1), 45–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, A.J., Jones, D.R., & Goldblatt, P.O. (1984). Approaches to Studying the Effects of Socio-Economic Circumstances on Geographic Differences in Mortality in England and Wales. British Medical Bulletin, 40(4), 309–314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garrity, T.F., Somes, G.W., & Marx, M.B. (1978). Factors Influencing Self-Assessment of Health. Social Sciences and Medicine, 12(2), 77–81.Google ScholarPubMed
Goudy, W.J. (1985). Sample Attrition and Multivariate Analysis in the Retirement History Study. Journal of Gerontology, 40(3), 358–367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Graham, S. (1974). The Sociological Approach to Epidemiology. American Journal of Public Health, 64(11), 1046–1049.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Graney, M.J. & Zimmerman, R.M. (1980–1981). Causes and Consequences of Health Self-Report Variations Among Older People. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 12(4), 291–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guinan, S.M. (1971). Some Findings in Preparation for Retirement Courses in the Toronto District. Paper presented at 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society, Houston, Texas.Google Scholar
Helsing, K.J., Szklo, M. & Comstock, G.W. (1981). Factors Associated with Mortality After Widowhood. American Journal of Public Health, 71(8), 802–809.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hirdes, J.P., Brown, K.S., Vigoda, D.S., Forbes, W.F. & Crawford, L. (1986). The Examination of the Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking on the Basis of the Ontario Longitudinal Study on Aging. Canadian Journal on Public Health (in press).Google Scholar
House, J.S., Robbins, C. & Metzner, H.L. (1982). The Association of Social Relationships and Activities with Mortality: Prospective Evidence from the Tecumseh Community Health Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 116(1), 123–140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaplan, G.A. & Comacho, T. (1983). Perceived Health and Mortality: A Nine Year Follow-up of the Human Population Laboratory Cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology, 117(3), 292–304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kleinbaum, D.G., Kupper, L.L., & Morgenstein, H.C. (1982). Modelling: Theoretical Considerations. In Epidemiologic Research (pp. 421–428), Toronto: Wadsworth Inc.Google Scholar
LaRue, A., Bank, L., Jarvik, L., & Hetland, M. (1979). Health in Old Age: How Do Physicians Ratings and Self-Ratings Compare? Journal of Gerontology, 34(5), 687–691.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Linn, M.W., Sandifer, R., & Stein, S. (1985). Effects of Unemployment on Mental and Physical Health. American Journal of Public Health, 75(5), 502–506.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maddox, G.L. (1962). Some Correlates of Differences in Self-Assessment of Health Status Among the Elderly. Journal of Gerontology, 17(2), 180–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maddox, G.L. & Douglass, E.B. (1973). Self-Assessment of Health: A Longitudinal Study of Elderly Subjects. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 14(1), 87–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mechanic, D. (1978). Demographic Studies of Morbidity. In Medical Sociology (pp. 189–194). New York: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Moser, K.A., Fox, A.J., & Jones, D.R. (1984). Unemployment and Mortality in the OPCS Longitudinal Study. Lancet, (Dec. 8), 1324–1329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mossey, J.M. & Shapiro, E. (1982). Self-Rated Health: a Predictor of Mortality Among the Elderly. American Journal of Public Health, 72(8), 800–808.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neser, W.F., Tryoler, H.A. & Cassel, J.C. (1971). Social Disorganization and Stroke Mortality in the Black Population of North Carolina. American Journal of Epidemiology, 93(2), 166–1175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ontario (1962). Ontario Health Status, 1959–1961: Long-Term Study of Aging Highlight Report No. 1. Toronto: Department of Public Welfare.Google Scholar
Ontario (1963). Social Activities: Long-Term Study of Aging Highlight Report No. 3. Toronto: Department of Public Welfare.Google Scholar
Ontario (1972). Some Findings on Health: Long-Term Study of Aging. Toronto: Ministry of Community and Social Services.Google Scholar
Palmore, E.B. (1971). The Relative Importance of Social Factors in Predicting Longevity. In Rose, C.L. and Bell, B. (Eds.), Predicting Longevity (pp. 237–247). Lexington: Heath Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Palmore, E.B., Nowlin, J.B. & Wang, H.S. (1985). Predictors of Function Among the Old-Old: a 10-year Follow-up. Journal of Gerontology, 40(2), 244–250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pratt, L. (1971). The Relationship of Socioeconomic Status to Health. American Journal of Public Health, 61(2), 281–291.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rahe, R.H., Bennet, L., Romo, M., Siltanen, P., & Arthur, R.J. (1973). Subjects' Recent Life Changes and Coronary Heart Disease in Finland. American Journal of Psychiatry, 130(11), 1222–1226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shekelle, R.B., Raynor, W.J., Ostfeld, A.M., Garron, D.C., Bieliauskas, L.A., Liu, S.C., Maliza, C. & Oglesby, P. (1981). Psychological Depression and 17-Year Risk of Death from Cancer. Psychosomatic Medicine, 43(2), 117–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Siltanen, P. (1978). Life Changes and Sudden Coronary Death. Advanced Cardiology, 25, 47–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistics Canada (1981). Canada Health Survey. Ottawa: Health and Welfare Canada.Google Scholar
Syme, S.L. (1974). Behavioral Factors Associated with Etiology of Physical Disease: A Social Epidemiological Approach. American Journal of Public Health, 64(11), 1043–1045.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Syme, S.L. & Berkman, L.F. (1976). Social Class, Susceptibility and Sickness. American Journal of Epidemiology, 104(1), 1–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, R. (1979). The Over-selling of Modern Medicine. In Medicine Out of Control (p. 34). Victoria, Australia, Sun Books, Ptd. Ltd.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tessler, R. & Mechanic, D. (1985). Psychological Distress and Perceived Health. In Palmore, E. (Ed.) Normal Aging III (pp. 167–178). Duke University Press.Google Scholar
Tissue, T. (1972). Another Look at Self-Rated Health Among the Elderly. Journal of Gerontology, 27(1), 91–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Townsend, P. & Davidson, N. (Eds.) (1980). Inequalities in Health: The Black Report. Suffolk: The Chaucer Press.Google Scholar
Usui, W.M., Keil, T.J. & Durig, K.R. (1985). Socioeconomic Comparisons and Life Satisfaction of Elderly Adults. Journal of Gerontology, 40(1), 110–114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wigle, D.T. & Mao, Y. (1980). Mortality by Income Level in Urban Canada. Ottawa. Canada: Health Protection Branch, Health and Welfare.Google Scholar
Wilkins, R. & Adams, O.B. (1983). Health Expectancy in Canada, Late 1970's: Demographic, Regional and Social Dimensions. American Journal of Public Health, 73(9), 1073–1080.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zuckerman, D.M., Kasl, S.V. & Ostfeld, A.M. (1984). Psychosocial Predictors of Mortality Among the Elderly Poor. American Journal of Epidemiology, 119(3), 410–423.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed