Socioeconomic Disparities in Individual-Level Quality-Adjusted Life Years throughout Remaining Lifetimes: A National Representative Longitudinal Survey in China

Xinyi Huang, Xingtong Pei, Weiyan Jian () and Mingming Xu ()
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Xinyi Huang: School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Gongchang Road 66, Shenzhen 518107, China
Xingtong Pei: School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Gongchang Road 66, Shenzhen 518107, China
Weiyan Jian: Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Peking University, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
Mingming Xu: School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Gongchang Road 66, Shenzhen 518107, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Socioeconomic disparities in health within and across low- and middle-income countries pose a significant global public health concern. While prior research has demonstrated the importance of socioeconomic status on health outcomes, few studies have employed comprehensive measures of individual-level health such as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in exploring the quantitative relationship. In our study, we employed QALYs to measure individual-level health, using health-related quality of life scores based on the Short Form 36 and predicted remaining life years through individual-specific Weibull survival analysis. We then constructed a linear regression model to explore the socioeconomic factors that influence QALYs, providing a predictive model of individual-level QALYs throughout remaining lifetimes. This practical tool can help individuals predict their remaining healthy life years. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study between 2011 and 2018, we found that education and occupation were the primary factors influencing health outcomes among individuals aged 45 and above, while income appeared to have less of an impact when education and occupation were simultaneously controlled for. To promote the health status of this population, low- and middle-income countries should prioritize the long-term advancement of their population’s education while controlling unemployment rates in the short term.

Keywords: socioeconomic status; QALYs; health disparities; survival analysis; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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