Examining the socioeconomic gradient in walking speed among older Canadians: an analysis of Follow-up 1 data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Understanding the socioeconomic gradient in health is important for population health research and policy. As the Canadian population ages, it is critical to enhance this understanding among older adults. To do so, we must rely on a measure of health that is suited to older adults and sensitive to social stratification. Self-rated health is a measure of health most commonly used in health inequality studies. However, the literature shows that the subjective assessment of health may vary by age and socioeconomic status, casting doubt on its usefulness in studies of the socioeconomic gradient in health among older adults. The purpose of this study is to assess the socioeconomic gradient in health among older adults using walking speed as a measure of health and how it differs by age group and sex.