Gender, Socioeconomic Status, and Health in Later Life: A Multilevel Analysis of the Frailty Index across 17 European Countries

Juste Lekstyte , Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics – CED

While women typically have longer life expectancy compared to men, they also tend to experience higher levels of disability, more comorbidities, and poorer self-rated health. The relationship between socioeconomic status and health in older men and women has been a subject of ongoing debate, with various studies yielding inconsistent findings. This study contributes to the discourse by examining whether gender differences in health vary by education after the age of 50 within different European welfare clusters (Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern) and among age groups (50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80+). Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe in 2015, the study applies multilevel linear regression models to investigate gender differences in a 40-item frailty index. The findings reveal that the protective effect of education on the frailty index is stronger for women than for men. Furthermore, the study highlights that the influence of education on health is more prominent for women than for men in Southern, Western, and Eastern European countries. However, in Northern Europe, no substantial gender disparity in health outcomes based on socioeconomic status is observed. The study also emphasizes an age-related gradient in gender disparities in frailty. These results underscore the importance of taking into account the complex interaction between gender, education, health, and welfare regimes when designing policies and interventions to enhance the health of older populations.

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 Presented in Session 64. Wellbeing in Older Age