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The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences Advance Access originally published online on March 23, 2009
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2009 64B(3):378-389; doi:10.1093/geronb/gbp012
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Socioeconomic Status and Age Variations in Health-Related Quality of Life: Results From the National Health Measurement Study

Stephanie A. Robert1,2, Dasha Cherepanov2, Mari Palta2,3, Nancy Cross Dunham2, David Feeny4 and Dennis G. Fryback2

1 School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin–Madison
2 Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison
3 Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin–Madison
4 Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon; University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; Health Utilities Incorporated, Dundas, Ontario, Canada

Address correspondence to Stephanie A. Robert, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1350 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. Email: sarobert{at}wisc.edu


  Abstract

Objectives: We examine whether multiple health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures are stratified by socioeconomic status (SES) and age in the United States.

Methods: Data are from the 2005/2006 National Health Measurement Study, a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. We plot mean HRQoL scores by SES within age groups. Regression analyses test whether education, income, and assets each have independent associations with three "preference-based" HRQoL measures and self-rated health (SRH). We test whether these associations vary by age.

Results: There are SES disparities in HRQoL and SRH among adults in the United States at all age groups. Income differentials in HRQoL are strong across current adult age cohorts, except the 75–89 age cohort. Education and assets have statistically significant but weaker associations with HRQoL. All three SES measures are associated with SRH (net of each other) at every age group. Those in the lowest income and education groups in the 35–44 age cohort have worse HRQoL and SRH than those in higher SES groups in the 65+ age cohort.

Discussion: Significant improvements in HRQoL at the population level will only be possible if we improve the HRQoL of people at the lowest end of the socioeconomic distribution.

Key Words: Health disparities • Health-related quality of life • Health status • Socioeconomic status

Received September 18, 2008; Accepted November 14, 2008

Decision Editor: Kenneth F. Ferraro, PhD


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