Health and Health Care
Selected findings from SHARE First Results Books:
- A vicious circle – bad health leads to social exclusion leads to bad health: The impact of health problems affecting social interaction – such as, e.g., hearing loss – on social inclusion can be enormous. Conversely, feelings of being left out as well as actual social isolation can become a source of depression. SHARE based findings now support the notion of social exclusion acting as a pathway through which hypoacusia may affect mental health.
- Access to health insurance is fundamental: Inadequate access and the lack of insurance coverage are particularly often found in poorer countries with low healthcare expenditures as well as in countries with large income disparities. But there is also a clear socio-economic gradient in health insurance coverage and access to care within almost all countries, reinforcing social inequalities in health status.
- Long-term care – a public task: In countries where the welfare state attends to the organization of long-term care, long-term care needs are generally better met than in countries where it is mainly the responsibility of the family. Unmet need for long-term care is, in turn, associated with material and social deprivation: The more deprived people are, the more they are in need for long-term care, and the more these needs remain unmet. Even in Central and Northern European countries where governments are involved in long term care, families remain essential in complementing the welfare state, including for the most severely deprived.
- Southern Europe - greater longevity, despite illness: Although people in southern Europe live longer, Northern Europeans are healthier and richer. When looking at cross-country differences in general health, we find that the Danes, followed by the Swedes and Swiss, are the most satisfied: only 40 per cent believe that they are not in the very best of health, and the share of those who regard themselves as in poor or very bad health is even as low as ten per cent. Physical health problems are closely related to age throughout Europe. Disorders such as cataracts are experienced five times more often by the oldest-old, that is those aged 80 or over, than by people in the 50-59 age group. Women suffer from most complaints significantly more frequently than men. However, it is the 'stronger sex' which mainly suffers from potentially life-threatening illnesses such as diabetes or heart and lung diseases. Experts believe that one of the reasons for the greater health threats faced by men is their tendency to adopt riskier health behaviours, that is, smoking more and drinking more alcohol.
- Geriatric care needs improvement: SHARE is the first survey that includes comparable information about out-of-pocket payments for health care expenditures as well as health services utilisationand the quality of health care for older persons. In many respects, there appears to be much room for improvement. For example, from a preventive perspective, there is a serious lack of geriatric assessments and screening tests.
- Education keeps us fit: There are strong socio-economic disparities in physical health and health behaviours within all SHARE countries. For instance, compared to more highly educated elders, individuals with a lower formal education are 70 percent more likely to be physically inactive and 50 percent more likely to be obese. Everywhere, men are significantly more often overweight than women.
- Education helps prevent cognitive impairment and depression: A strong relationship between health and socioeconomic status also holds for mental health. For instance, cross-country differences in cognitive function correspond closely to cross-country differences in education. Depression is more frequent among persons with low income or low wealth, particularly in the northern countries of Europe.
More SHARE Research Findings:
Disadvantaged early-life conditions and respiratory function
New SHARE-based study examines whether growing up in disadvantageous socioeconomic conditions affects lung function in later life
A deprived start into life has a life-long impact on our health
SHARE-based studies investigate the impact of early-life socio-economic circumstances
How does fertility affect long-term health?
New SHARE-study explores the impact of the number of children and timing of the first child’s birth
Education and health in later life
New SHARE-based study explores the relationship between education and health in the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands and Sweden
Educational inequalities and cognition in old age
New study with SHARE date explores the impact of educational inequalities on cognition in old age
Do women in Europe live longer and happier lives than men?
New SHARE-based study is among the first to explore gender differences in happy life expectancy
Does disability insurance improve health and well-being?
Disability insurance benefits positively influence recipients’ health and well-being
Long-term care subsidisation and use of hospital care
New SHARE-based study explores if subsidising long-term care could reduce hospital admissions
Healthy country, healthy people
New study with SHARE data explores how country-specific health factors influence one’s subjective health
Regional availability of formal long-term care and the well-being of spousal caregivers
SHARE-based study examines how having control over the care situation affects one’s well-being
Are immigrants healthier than natives?
New study with SHARE data compares the health effects of different immigration policies in Europe and Israel
Economic crises may have negative effect on health in later life
Severe macroeconomic shocks experienced during one’s working life might have detrimental long-term effects on health, finds a SHARE-based study.
Socializing outside your inner circle may be good for your health
New study based on SHARE data finds that different types of social relations have different (positive) effects on self-perceived health.
Retirement changes health behaviour
New SHARE-based study analyses the diverse effects of retirement on individuals’ lifestyles
Women in gender-equal countries perform better in cognitive tests
Cognitive abilities of women after midlife may be affected by the gender-role attitudes in their countries of residence, indicates this new study based on SHARE data.
Inequalities in loneliness
The risk of being lonely varies according to the elderly individual’s level of wealth, finds a new study.
Positive effects of intergenerational living on older people’s mental health
SHARE-based study shows that co-residing with adult children may result in reduced levels of depressive symptom.
The effect of care on women's mental health
SHARE-based shows how caring for elder parents may impair women’s mental health.
Life History and the Risk of Death
New study discusses how an individual's past influences their risk of an untimely death.
Well-being of older migrants in Europe
Study compares subjective well-being of migrants and natives aged 50+.
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Little exercise is better than none
Preventing chronic diseases through minor physical activity more effective than previously assumed.
Fight cognitive decline with Sudoku
Study shows how leisure activity can help to train your memory.
Working under stressful conditions causes depressions in the long run
Researchers argue that health consequences of work stress should be analysed in a life-course perspective.
Why do older people hit the bottle?
International study compares dangerous drinking habits of men and women across Europe.