How Reliable Are the Health Responses of Elders? Evidence from India

Abstract

Purpose – This paper explored the reliability of self-reported health and the impact of the social position in determining the inconsistent health response, in late life. Methodology – The study uses nationally representative unit level data from the National Sample Survey of India. Using the bivariate probit model, joint estimation of reported health and inconsistent health responses are determined for all factors that manifest social injustice and constitutes individual characteristics. Findings – The study has two significant results: firstly, in the privileged socioeconomic segment, reported health underestimates the presence of morbidity might because it can be controlled by the treatment due to greater access to healthcare services, economic resources, and health awareness; and secondly, among the deprived elderly the reported health pulls down the redundancy of chronicle ailment. Therefore, the factors, responsible for social justice like social caste, economic status, and attainment of education have a significant impact on reporting inconsistent health responses. Social implications – Results from bivariate-probit model offer deeper understandings about the reliability of self-reported health and provide further insights to improve policy design designed to mitigate the health inequality among the elders. Originality/value – The study identifies, the type of inconsistent health responses, and the factors responsible for the inconsistency of self-reported health with the existence of chronicle morbidity among the elderly population.