Examining Housing Environments and Health Status of Older Adults with Physical Disabilities in South Korea.

The present study examined the relationships between housing environments and health and well-being among older adults with physical disabilities in South Korea. Data are from the 2014 National Survey on Persons with Disabilities. We modelled four health and well-being outcomes - perceived stress, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and life satisfaction - by various housing environments among 2,077 older adults with physical disabilities. The results illustrate that home ownership and perceived house accessibility are associated with health and well-being. Findings indicate that efforts to promote the health of older adults with physical disabilities need to be accompanied by improvements in their housing environment.

A longitudinal study on self-rated health changes in disabled older people.

There is a growing demand for quality healthcare for senior citizens among the disabled older population, considering their rising numbers. This study examines the longitudinal change in the health status of disabled older people and determines its effects on social exclusion and differences based on age at disability onset. The analysis was performed using a multilevel growth model on the health data for disabled older people (≥60 years) derived from the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KWePS). The following findings were observed based on the stated model: (1) The Self-Rated Health (SRH) of disabled older people increased over time, with significant individual differences in the initial status and growth rate; (2) The domains of economic and social network exclusion were associated with changes in the health status of disabled older people; and (3) The longitudinal effects of social exclusion on SRH changes in disabled older people varied according to the age at disability onset. Based on these results, strategies and implications for the development of health-promoting interventions for disabled older people were presented.

The Impact of Income and Social Capital on the Health of People with Developmental Disabilities.

This study examines the impact of income and social capital on the health of people with developmental disabilities, focusing on the moderating effects of income and social capital on health. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted using data from 235 people with developmental disabilities who participated in the second wave of the Disability and Life Dynamics Panel. The findings show that people with developmental disabilities who were female, employed, and did not have multiple disabilities and chronic diseases were more likely to display higher levels of self-rated health. Furthermore, self-rated health was higher in those earning a higher income. The social network had a significantly positive effect on health, but its moderating effect on the impact of income did not carry statistical significance. Trust was found to have a moderating effect on the impact of income on health, where the group with greater trust and lower income was healthier than the group with lower trust. The findings suggest the need to provide income support and establish social capital for people with developmental disabilities to improve their health, and this study offers related policy implications.