Skip Navigation


The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on December 26, 2007
The European Journal of Public Health 2008 18(3):258-263; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckm119
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
18/3/258    most recent
ckm119v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Groffen, D. A. I.
Right arrow Articles by van Eijk, J. Th. M.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Groffen, D. A. I.
Right arrow Articles by van Eijk, J. Th. M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Health Inequalities

Material deprivation and health-related dysfunction in older Dutch people: findings from the SMILE study

Danielle A. I. Groffen1, Hans Bosma1, Marjan van den Akker2, Gertrudis I. J. M. Kempen3 and Jacques Th. M. van Eijk1

1 Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Public Health and Primary Care (Caphri), Maastricht University, The Netherlands
2 Department of General Practice, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Public Health and Primary Care (Caphri), Maastricht University, The Netherlands
3 Department of Health Care Studies, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Public Health and Primary Care (Caphri), Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Danielle A. I. Groffen, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Public Health and Primary Care (Caphri), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands, tel: +31 43 38 82 290; fax: +31 43 38 84 169; email: D.Groffen{at}socmed.unimaas.nl

Received June 19, 2007 , accepted November 9, 2007

Background: Even in generally wealthy Western countries material deprivation and poverty are not uncommon. There is, however, little data on the prevalence of material deprivation and its associations with health-related dysfunction in older people. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the SMILE study were used to examine the prevalence of material deprivation and the associations between material deprivation and health-related dysfunction in persons aged 55 years and older (n > 4000). Material deprivation was measured with a comprehensive questionnaire assessing seven subdomains referring to current and anticipated financial problems and poverty in childhood. Health-related dysfunction was measured using the SF36-based physical and mental components. In addition, self-reported heart disease was examined as an indicator of health-related dysfunction as well. Results: Almost 29% of subjects experienced at least one financial problem. Those reporting material deprivation had more than twice the risk of physical (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.72–2.86) and mental (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.84–2.97) dysfunction compared with non-deprived persons. A slightly weaker association was found when self-reported heart disease was used as an outcome variable (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.40–2.15). Although odds ratios were generally higher for diseased older persons, no significant interaction effect between chronic disease and material deprivation subscales was found. Conclusions: Material deprivation in the Netherlands is not uncommon and is strongly related to both mental and physical dysfunction, and therefore needs further attention in public health policy. Longitudinal research is necessary to clarify the causal nature of our results and to develop appropriate interventions.

Keywords: chronic disease, elderly, health-related dysfunction, material deprivation


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.