The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #62425

Erin B. Reidy, MA, Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St., P.O. Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, 734-998-9767, ereidy@umich.edu

Scholars suggest that universal programs, such as Social Security,contribute to a reduction in socioeconomic health inequalities among the elderly. As eliminating health disparities is a major goal of Healthy People 2010,it is important to investigate the potential for current policies to ameliorate health inequalities. These programs may reduce health inequalities either by reducing the overall extent of inequality, or by insuring a large proportion of older persons from poverty. Recent analyses find that increases in Social Security retirement income decrease the risk of mortality. Yet, the receipt of Social Security may occur too late in the development of chronic conditions to secure the financial and material resources necessary for faster rates of recovery and/or slower rates of decline of illness and disability.

Using growth curve modeling, this research examines the extent to which relative levels and sources of household income differentiate trajectories in functional limitations. Analyses are based on five waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of 9,825 persons born between 1931 and 1941. As part of the larger family of mixed models, growth curve models do not confound changes in health that occur at the individual level with effects that might otherwise be attributed to group differences in a given characteristic. Results indicate that individuals receiving Social Security income report higher initial levels of functional limitations than those without Social Security income, but have similar rates of change in functional limitations over time.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the relationship between socioeconomic status, source of income, and patterns of health over time.
• Articulate the methodological advantages of the use of individual growth curve modeling in health analyses.
• Evaluate the impact of Social Security income benefits on the health of new retirees.

Keywords: Social Inequalities, Disability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.