Social inequalities in the self-rated health of the elderly people in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract

To describe the prevalence of the self-rated poor and very poor health status among elderly people who were not in nursing homes and were living in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2010, and to identify whether the social inequalities previously reported for this condition persist. We carried out a cross-sectional study, with a representative sample of 1,344 people aged 60 years or more living in the city, who participated in the SABE Study (Health, Well-Being, and Aging). We applied a questionnaire about sociodemographic characteristics, which included three questions on self-rated health status: a direct question about the current condition, a comparison with the condition of the other people of the same age, and a comparison with oneself a year before. The comparative analysis used Poisson regression models, reporting the prevalence ratio as a measure of association between variables. Only 7.8% of the elderly individuals reported a negative self-rated health status in 2010, similar proportion to those that consider themselves to be in worse health condition than the other people of the same age (8.7%). However, the prevalence of elderly people that reported worsening in comparison with the previous year was higher, of 29.2%. Regardless of the question used, the prevalence of negative self-rated health was directly associated with worse indicators of income, educational status, and consumer classes. Significant differences between genders, age groups, and skin color categories were also observed. Differences in the prevalence of self-rated negative health status continue to affect the sociodemographic groups. The knowledge already available about social inequalities in health did not eliminate or attenuate social injustice in this outcome.