Health disparities in Europe's ageing population: the role of social network.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous research suggests that the social network may play very different roles in relation to health in countries with differing welfare regimes.

Objective

The study aimed to assess the interplay between social network, socioeconomic position, and self-rated health (SRH) in European countries.

Methods

The study used cross-sectional data on individuals aged 50+ from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and includes data from 16 countries. The outcome is poor SRH. All analyses are adjusted for age and stratified by gender.

Results

Low satisfaction with the social network was associated with poor SRH among women in all country groups, but predicted poor SRH among males in West/Central and Eastern Europe only

SUBMITTER: Olofsson J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5912441 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature