Socioeconomic inequality in functional deficiencies and chronic diseases among older Indian adults: a sex-stratified cross-sectional decomposition analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Older adults with adverse socioeconomic conditions suffer disproportionately from a poor quality of life. Stratified by sex, income-related inequalities have been decomposed for functional deficiencies and chronic diseases among older adults, and the degree to which social and demographic factors contribute to these inequalities was identified in this study.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: Data used for this study were retrieved from the WHO Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health Wave 1. A total of 3753 individuals (men: 1979, and women: 1774) aged ≥60 years were found eligible for the analysis.

Measures: Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) deficiency and presence of chronic diseases.

Method: The decomposition method proposed by Adam Wagstaff and his colleagues was used. The method allows estimating how determinants of health contribute proportionally to inequality in a health variable.

Results: Compared with men, women were disproportionately affected by both functional deficiencies and chronic diseases. The relative contribution of sociodemographic factors to IADL deficiency was highest among those with poor economic status (38.5%), followed by those who were illiterate (22.5%), which collated to 61% of the total explained inequalities. Similarly, for chronic diseases, about 93% of the relative contribution was shared by those with poor economic status (42.3%), rural residence (30.5%) and illiteracy (20.3%). Significant difference in predictors was evident between men and women in IADL deficiency and chronic illness.

Conclusion: Pro-poor intervention strategies could be designed to address functional deficiencies and chronic diseases, with special attention to women.

Keywords: India; chronic diseases; functional deficiency; gender; older adults.