The Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Health Of The Aged

By constructing a "direct-indirect double effect" theoretical model, the potential mechanism of socio-economic status (SES) effects on health conditions of the aged is interpreted and examined with data from of the Investigation on Current Status and Will of the aged in Shanghai in 2003. The results show that SES's impact on health conditions of the aged has significant direct-indirect double effects. The "indirect effect" of SES is embodied by the inner effect mechanism of subjective- objective health variables to a great extent.The research conclusions as follows:1. SES's impact on the health condition of the aged has significant direct effects;2.In addition to the direct effects, The indirect effect of SES' impact on the self-care ability of the aged is transferred by chronic; The indirect effect of SES' impact on the health self-assessment of the aged is transferred by two ways, the amount of chronic and the state of self-care ability;3.There are significant model differences of gender, age and residences styles in most indicators of health status;4.For the aged of Shanghai, the aged who have higher SES are unnecessarily good in health. Besides, in this paper, the selected three indicators of SES are not the same in the effect models of self-care ability and health self-assessment.The conclusions are as follows:1) SES's impact on health conditions of the aged has significant direct effects; 2) In addition to the direct effects, the indirect effect of SES'impact on the self-care ability of the aged is transferred by chronic; The indirect effect of SES' impact on the health self-assessment of the aged is transferred in two ways-the amount of chronic and the state of self-care ability; 3) There are significant model differences of gender, age and residences styles in most indicators of health status; 4) Among the aged of Shanghai, the aged who have higher SES are unnecessarily good in health. Besides, in this paper, the selected three indicators of SES are not the same in the effect models of self-care ability and health self-assessment.In general, the universal "health gradient difference model" in western countries, may challenge in China. Even comparing with some developing countries in Asia and Latin-American, the SES model of aged-health-state in Shanghai may have its own Chinese characteristics. To some extent, this model can also indicate political movements, economic reforms and social changes that the Chinese aged people have happened in their lives.