Health differentials in the older population: An empirical investigation of the materialist, behavioural and psychosocial hypotheses

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The projected demographic changes present a long term challenge for the UK with the costs of an ageing society being manageable provided appropriate policy responses are made now and over the coming years. This suggests a particular need to investigate health inequalities in the older population but although research on this topic is increasing it remains sparse in comparison with the volume of work on younger and middle aged people particularly middle aged men. The major aim of the proposed programme of work is to investigate the extent of health inequalities in the older population over time and to empirically compare the relative contribution to these of the materialistic (i.e. income, housing, living in safer environments, access to health care) behavioural (i.e. smoking diet alcohol consumption appropriate use of health care) and psychosocial (i.e. relative social status, social integration and exposure to stressful events) pathways in order to inform policy making and future population based interventions to promote healthy ageing.