Socioeconomic Status Differentials in Life and Active Life Expectancy Among Older Adults in Beijing and Taiwan

Toshiko Kaneda, Population Council
Zachary Zimmer, Population Council
Zhe Tang, Beijing Municipal Network for Health and Care of the Elderly
Mandy Li, University of South Carolina

This study examines socioeconomic status (SES) differentials in life and active life expectancy (LE and ALE) in Beijing and Taiwan in order to assess: 1) whether older adults of higher social status live longer and healthier lives; 2) whether a series of SES indicators differentiate morbidity and mortality experiences in similar ways, and; 3) whether SES differences in health are found across two samples of elders who experience both similarities and differences in their social environment. Results based on three waves of panel data across the 1990s show strong SES effects, but variations across indicators and settings. For instance, in Taiwan education is strongly associated with both LE and ALE, whereas assets only differentiate LE. In Beijing, no educational differentials are found, but assets strongly predict both LE and ALE. These and other findings challenge our current expectations while assisting in understanding the SES and health association across diverse environments.