Social support and self-rated health revisited:: Is there a gender difference in later life?

Sheung-Tak Cheng and Alfred C.M. Chan

Social Science & Medicine, 2006, vol. 63, issue 1, 118-122

Abstract: This study examines the physical, behavioral, emotional and social determinants of self-rated health among Chinese older persons, and investigates if the effect of social support varies by gender. A representative sample of 1589 elderly community dwellers in Hong Kong were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Gender difference in the effect of social support was tested by an interaction term, 'genderxsocial support', in a hierarchical regression analysis. The frequency of falling ill, the number of chronic illnesses, sleep quality, mobility and positive emotions were most important determinants of self-rated health. The effect of social support was completely redundant when these factors were taken into account. The interaction term 'genderxsocial support' was significant and indicated a stronger effect for women, but the effect size was negligible (adding only 0.3% to the explained variance). This suggests that the effect of social support by and large is gender free. These findings suggest a high degree of similarity in the determinants of self-rated health between Western and Chinese older populations.

Keywords: Self-rated; health; Social; support; Gender; Elderly; Hong; Kong (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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