Association between socioeconomic status and physical functioning among older adults in Ghana

Abstract

Aim: Physical function is a crucial part of healthy aging, as poor physical function increases the risk of adverse health issues such as impairment and mortality. There has been extensive research on the association between socioeconomic status and physical function, but this interaction is not really clear, particularly for older adults. This study is therefore aimed at examining the association between the socioeconomic status of the elderly and their physical functioning. Subject and methods: The data were derived from the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) Wave 1 (2007–2010) of the World Health Organization (n = 3710). We measured physical functioning by assessing activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Educational achievement, household income, access to healthcare and financial resources were assessed for the socioeconomic status. Results: The findings suggest that older adults with higher education and high income would likely maintain their physical function as they age. Those without access to healthcare services and insufficient financial resources will possibly have poor functioning of ADL and IADL. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that low socioeconomic status might have a negative impact on older adults’ physical functioning. To facilitate a lifestyle that would enable older adults to maintain their physical function, the association between socioeconomic status and physical functioning should be examined.