An investigation of the socioeconomic gradient of physical capability among older adults

Understanding health inequalities among older adults is important as Canada’s population ages. Individuals in the lowest socioeconomic positions have the poorest health, and health outcomes are better in a stepwise fashion among those with higher socioeconomic positions – known as the socioeconomic gradient of health. Self-rated health is a subjective measure of health that is strongly associated with future health outcomes. Objective measures of health, including physical capability measures like chair rise time, also correlate with future mortality and may be a vital addition in studies of aging and health inequality. We aim to investigate the association between self-rated health and chair rise times and to assess whether the socioeconomic gradient of health exists in chair rise times among older adults. This study will show the potential use of a simple physical performance measure – chair rise times – for the assessment of health inequalities in the aging Canadian population.