Abstract
Our study aimed to identify the main determinants of self-rated health for individuals aged 60 years or older in Bogotá, Colombia, and if those determinants vary between groups. Data was obtained from the Demographic Health Survey 2011 for Bogotá. Logistic regression models were estimated to identify the determinants of excellent/good self-rated health among people aged 60 years or older living in Bogotá. Moreover, a subgroup analysis was conducted seeking to identify if the determinants changed between groups (men, women, persons with disability, with chronic disease(s), and persons with both disability and chronic disease(s)). The likelihood of reporting an excellent/good self-rated health health decreases when the individual has a disability, a chronic disease or reports that their household income is not enough to cover the basic needs. On the other hand, the odds of reporting excellent/good self-rated health increase when the individual is more educated and reports to receive family support. The subgroup analysis showed that although some determinants are only associated with one group (age with chronic diseases), in general, three main determinants stood out: years of education, socioeconomic status variables and receiving family support. The determinants of self-rated health for older adults in Bogotá differ according to the disability and the chronic disease status. Thus, public policies aiming to improve the levels of health and quality must consider the impacts of those characteristics on individuals' perceptions of their own health.
Highlights
The older population is expected to double by 2050 1
Latin America adults are growing old in relatively scarce settings with poor living conditions and large socioeconomic inequalities and are a less healthy group, since they face a higher number of chronic diseases and disability 3
The prevalence of excellent/good health status was lower among people with both a chronic disease and a disability (36%) and higher for people that reported only a disability (42.6%), only chronic disease (53.5%), and no reported disability or chronic disease (88.9%)
Summary
The older population is expected to double by 2050 1. All regions worldwide are experiencing population aging, and the older individuals age group is growing relatively faster than younger age groups 1. Latin America adults are growing old in relatively scarce settings with poor living conditions and large socioeconomic inequalities and are a less healthy group, since they face a higher number of chronic diseases and disability 3. Few studies investigating older adults and their health and disability challenges are found for this region [4,5,6,7,8]. Population aging represents challenges across all sectors along with significant social changes, such as internal and external migration and post-conflict settings as in the case of Colombia. Advancing health status and well-being into old age requires evidence for local governments to address structural policy changes
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