Influence of Social Adversity on Perceived Health Status and Depressive Symptoms among Portuguese Older People

Joana Sampaio, Ana Henriques, Elisabete Ramos, Isabel Dias, Alexandra Lopes and Sílvia Fraga
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Joana Sampaio: Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
Ana Henriques: Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
Elisabete Ramos: Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
Isabel Dias: Instituto de Sociologia, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, Via Panorâmica, s/n, 4150-564 Porto, Portugal
Alexandra Lopes: Instituto de Sociologia, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, Via Panorâmica, s/n, 4150-564 Porto, Portugal
Sílvia Fraga: Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: This study aims to investigate how exposure to poverty, food insecurity, and abuse at older ages relates to health outcomes. A questionnaire collecting data on sociodemographic and economic characteristics, health status, depressive symptoms, food insecurity, and abuse was administered to a sample of 677 older adults. Logistic regression was used to quantify the association of poverty, food insecurity, and abuse with perceived health status and depressive symptoms. If the older person only reported experiences of abuse, it was more likely to report the presence of depressive symptoms, even after adjustment for covariates. If it was only reported the experience of food insecurity, it was more likely to report a worse health status. Older people exposed to at least two factors of vulnerability were significantly more likely to report (very) poor perceived health status (OR: 7.11, 95% CI: 2.77–18.25) and the presence of relevant depressive symptoms (OR: 4.34; 95% CI: 2.04–9.22). Thus, the combined effect of vulnerabilities was significantly associated with worse health among older people. Public health policies to mitigate these adverse exposures should be developed to promote health and well-being in this population.

Keywords: aging; abuse; poverty; food insecurity; old-age vulnerabilities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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