Gender disparities in self-rated health among older adults: A longitudinal analysis using the Health and Retirement Study

Research traditionally found that older females have worse self-rated health compared to older males (Arber and Ginn 1993; Barrett 2005; Bird and Fremont 1991; Denton and Walters 1999; Denton, Prus, and Walters 2004; McDonough and Walters 2001), yet this finding is not as clear as once thought. Findings which do not report worse self-rated health among older females provide evidence of a new health paradox: a lack of gender differences in self-rated health despite higher levels of functional limitations and disability among older females (Arber and Cooper 1999). This research examines gender differences in self-rated health by testing to see if gender differences in trajectories of self-rated health exist and by assessing how various factors impact the relationship between gender and self-rated health. Latent growth curve models are used to analyze seven waves of data over twelve years from the Health and Retirement Study. The results provide evidence of a new health paradox: although males and females do not differ in the odds of reporting good health at the baseline interview, females do have higher odds of reporting good health over time. Because males are more likely to become unemployed or retire and experience the onset of health conditions, females have higher odds of reporting good health over time. Interestingly, several factors suppress the relationship between gender and self-rated health at baseline. Were it not for gender differences in education, income, eyesight, depressive symptoms, and functional limitations, females would also report better self-rated health at baseline compared to males.