Gender, Lifetime Socioeconomic Environments, and Health among the Elderly: The Cases of Taiwan and Japan

Yean-Ju Lee, University of Hawaii at Honolulu
Yasuhiko Saito, Nihon University
Yi-Li Chuang, Bureau of Health Promotion, Taiwan

This study examines how lifetime socioeconomic environments are related to the health status of elderly men and women aged 65 and older in Taiwan and Japan. Despite ample evidence on strong associations between socioeconomic status and health across many societie, gender and age differences in the associations are still inconclusive. This study hopes to contribute to the research by focusing on gender patterns among the elderly in two East Asian societies, Taiwan and Japan. In addition to respondents' own SES indicators, this study also examines the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents' parents and spouses, deceased or living. As the health status of the elderly is considered cumulative outcomes of lifetime experiences, this study highlights those indicators that reflect long-term experiences.