Gender Differences in Access to Health Care Among the Elderly: Evidence from Southeast Asia

Yana Rodgers () and Joseph E. Zveglich, Jr. ()
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Joseph E. Zveglich, Jr.: Asian Development Bank

No 633, ADB Economics Working Paper Series from Asian Development Bank

Abstract: Populations become increasingly feminized with age. Since older women are more vulnerable to poverty, they may find it more difficult than men to access health care. This study examines factors that may constrain older persons in Southeast Asia from meeting their health-care needs when sick. Our analysis of household survey data from Cambodia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam shows that women are more likely to have reported sickness or injury than men, a difference that is meaningful and statistically significant. While women in Cambodia and the Philippines are more likely to seek treatment than men, the gender difference is reversed in Viet Nam where stigma and discrimination associated with some diseases may more strongly deter women. The probability of seeking treatment rises with age more sharply for women than men in all countries. However, for the subsample of elders, the gender difference is not significant.

Keywords: elderly; gender; health; health care; women (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 J16 O53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 34 pages
Date: 2021-02-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-gen, nep-hea, nep-ias and nep-sea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Journal Article: Gender Differences in Access to Health Care among the Elderly: Evidence from Southeast Asia (2021)
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