Housing Environment and Associated Health Disparities in Older Adults: A Propensity Scores Matching Approach

Amiya Saha, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The quality of housing environments is a crucial determinant of health outcomes in older adults, with disparities in housing conditions leading to varied health risks across the population. Poor housing can exacerbate pre-existing health problems and contribute to new health challenges, particularly for older adults. This study used data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 (2017-18), analyzing a sample of 28,225 individuals aged 60 and above. Using propensity score matching, bi-variate, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression, the study examined how housing environments effect health disparities among older adults. The results indicated that the oldest-old group experienced an 18% higher prevalence of depression and 15% more poor self-rated health (SRH) than younger cohorts. Furthermore, 50.14% of young-old individuals in unimproved housing faced health issues, compared to 39.02% in improved housing. Depression rates were notably higher in states like Andhra Pradesh (10.48%), Assam (11.75%), Haryana (10.28%), and Delhi (31.3%). Individuals in better housing, particularly those with higher education, had significantly lower odds of depression, poor SRH, and functional limitations. These findings underscore the critical need to address housing quality to reduce health disparities and promote healthy aging among older adults.

Keywords: Health and Morbidity, Longitudinal studies , Population Ageing, Population, Environment, and Climate Change

See paper.