We use multiple indicators to measure psychosocial variables. First, the social
support index in the NPHS comprises four items reflecting whether or not respondents
feel that they have someone: they can confide in; they can count on; who can give them
advice; and who makes them feel loved. Scores range from 0-4, with higher scores
reflecting greater perceived social support. Since living with others, particularly a spouse,
can enhance social support, living arrangement is also assessed, categorized as: living
alone; living with a spouse/common-law partner; and all other living arrangements.
Second, we examine stress associated with major recent life events (RLE). The
RLE index is based on the number of negative events that the respondent (or someone
close to him/her) experienced in the 12 months prior to the interview. Higher scores
indicate more events.
Third, we look at stress associated with ongoing problems in certain domains. In
the NPHS, chronic stress is gauged in the following arenas: personal; financial;
relationship; parental; environmental; and family-health. Respondents answered either
true (coded as 1) or false (coded as 0) to each item in each index. The range of scores for
the personal stress index, which includes 5 items, is 0-5, with higher scores indicating
more personal stress. For the other stress indices, the range is: financial (0-1);
relationship (0-3); parental (0-2) (persons without children are coded as 0);
environmental (0-3); and family-health (0-2). Again, higher composite scores indicate
more stress.
Analysis Our research question asks if social factors have a different impact on the
health of older men and women. To answer this question, separate multivariate ordinary
least squares (OLS) regression models of health for older men and older women are