Cross National Comparisons of Health Disparities among Aging Populations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa

Mary McEniry, University of Michigan

Unequal societies tend to have larger health inequalities. Conditions during the late 1920s through early 1940s led to increasing higher survivorship in early life in low and middle income countries but this may not have translated into improved standard of living during childhood or throughout the life course because of economic conditions or lack of social mobility. This paper examines the degree to which higher SES inequality is associated with high prevalence of chronic conditions (heart disease, diabetes) and mortality among older adults born during this period using a recently compiled cross national data set of older adults from Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, US, England and the Netherlands. Inequality measures (ratios, the relative index of inequality) based on education, household income and wealth are used to examine associations with older adult health, controlling for early life conditions, and adult lifestyle. The role of social mobility is discussed.