Health inequality over the life course

Numerous studies report existence of a persistent socioeconomic status (SES)-health gradient in different countries, and regardless of SES and health outcome measures. It is also well known from several studies that the unequal distribution of health between SES groups increases with age. But there is little conclusive evidence about the underlying mechanisms behind health inequalities, and less is known why the SES-health gradient increases with age and whether the gradient has changed over time. The effect of SES on health may of course causally increase with age, e.g. having a low education level and/or a low income makes one more prone to a risky lifestyle that gradually affects ones health. But the relationship could as well run in the opposite direction, i.e. from health to SES. A third explanation could be that the positive age increase in the SES-health gradient is related to measurement errors in the variables used for both, SES and health. In the case of health it is difficult to find a measure that is useful over the entire adult life span.

Publications

Journal Articles

• Leopold, Liliya, and Henriette Engelhardt  (2011): " Bildung und Gesundheitsungleichheit im Alter: Divergenz, Konvergenz oder Kontinuität? Eine Längsschnittuntersuchung mit SHARE" (Education and Health Inequality in Old Age: divergence, convergence or continuity? - A Longitudinal Study with SHARE),  Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie 63(2): 207-236.
• Buber, Isabella, and Henriette Engelhardt (in press): "The association between age and depressive symptoms among older men and women in Europe. Findings from SHARE", Comparative Population Studies.
• Engelhardt, Henriette, Isabella Buber, Vegard Skirbekk, and Alexia Prskawetz (2010): " Social involvement, behavioural risks and cognitive functioning among the aged", Ageing & Society 30(5): 779 -809.

Working Papers

• Buber, Isabella, and Henriette Engelhardt:  " The association between age and depressive symptoms among older men and women in Europe. Findings from SHARE", Discussion Paper Series, No. DP 06/2010. Chair of Population Studies, University of Bamberg.

• Leopold, Liliya, and Henriette Engelhardt: " Bildung und Gesundheitsungleichheit im Alter: Divergenz, Konvergenz oder Kontinuität? Eine Längsschnittuntersuchung mit SHARE", Discussion Paper Series, No. DP 03/2010. Chair of Population Studies, University of Bamberg.