Distribuição de renda e auto-relato de saúde dos idosos no Brasil. / Income distribution and self-reported health of elderly in Brazil.

ABSTRACT

There is evidence that greater income inequalities lead to greater health disparities among young people, but it is not known if this applies to older people. This is of even greater concern in Brazil, where social and economic inequalities are among the highest in the world. This study tries to answer this question with data from 22,560 elders who answered a self-reported health assessment. An ecological analysis was undertaken and the relation between Gini coefficient and good self-reported health was obtained. There was statistically significant correlation between good health and less inequalities, which may be explained by the greater prevalence of absolute poverty in high-inequality areas and the greater impact of income on health wherever the social system is less protective.