Age versus socioeconomic gradients on health of Indian adults

Objectives: To examine age pattern of socioeconomic gradients across various reported and measured health indicators for Indian adults.
Methods: Cross-sectional data on 11,230 Indian adults aged 18-plus from the Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health, India (SAGE, 2007) is used. Bivariate analysis and logit models with interactions of age and socioeconomic status are applied to examine effects of socioeconomic status on health of Indian adults across ages.
Results: Results reveal a more dynamic pattern of age vis-à-vis socioeconomic gradients on the health of Indian older adults. Negative age gradient prevailed on key indicators of adult health across socioeconomic spectrum. However, age gradient was stronger for the poor and less educated adults. Concurrently, key measures of socioeconomic status: years of schooling and wealth quintile indicated an overwhelming positive gradient on health but with considerable heterogeneity across ages and on different domains of health.
Discussion: Overall, results demonstrate a non-static and counteracting pattern of age vis-à-vis socioeconomic gradients on adult health. Results suggest that the trajectories of age and social determinants interactively determine the health of Indian older adult.