Author:
Sialino Lena D.,Wijnhoven H. A.H.,van Oostrom S. H.,Picavet H. S.J.,Visser M.,Schaap L. A.
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Although being a woman and having a migration background are strong predictors of poor self-rated health among (older) adults, research on the sex difference in self-rated health among (older) migrants remains limited. This study therefore aims to investigate this topic and explore the contributing role of determinants of self-rated health.
Methods
Cross-sectional data from 360 Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adults aged 55–65 as part of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) were used. Self-rated health (good versus poor) was measured by a single item question. Univariate age-adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the sex difference in self-rated health and the contribution of sex differences in sensitivity (strength of the association) and/or exposure (prevalence) to socio-demographic, social, lifestyle or health-related determinants of self-rated health.
Results
Women had a 0.53 times lower odds (95%CI:0.40–0.82, p = 0.004) on good self-rated health compared to men. Women more often having a lower education level, living alone and having a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, chronic diseases and especially functional limitations contributed to the lower self-rated health among women. In contrast, men were more sensitive to the impact of memory complaints, depressive symptoms, visual difficulties and functional limitations.
Conclusions
Older Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch women have a significant lower self-rated health compared to men. Women having a higher exposure to both socio-demographic and health-related determinants of self-rated health, which contributed to the sex difference. Future research should take these differences in self-rated health and determinants between women and men into account when investigating health among older migrants.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Reference42 articles.
1. Denton M, Prus S, Walters V. Gender differences in health: a Canadian study of the psychosocial, structural and behavioural determinants of health. Soc Sci Med. 2004;58(12):2585–600.
2. Wheaton FV, Crimmins EM. Female disability disadvantage: a global perspective on sex differences in physical function and disability. Ageing Soc. 2016;36(6):1136.
3. Reijneveld SA. Reported health, lifestyles, and use of health care of first generation immigrants in the Netherlands: do socioeconomic factors explain their adverse position? J Epidemiol Community Health. 1998.
4. Westert GP, Jabaaij L, Chowdhury R, Borst-Eilers E, Devillé W, Uiters E et al. Perceived health and consultation of GPs among ethnic minorities compared to the general population in the Netherlands. In: Morbidity, Performance and Quality in Primary Care. 2019.
5. Crimmins EM, Kim JK, Solé-Auró A. Gender differences in health: results from SHARE, ELSA and HRS. Eur J Public Health. 2011;21(1):81–91.