Socio-economic health differences among the elderly population in Krakow, Poland

To assess whether socio-economic health differences persist into old age in Poland and if there are SES-related differences in health by age group and gender.

528 randomly chosen, not institutionalized elderly people aged 65-85 living in Krakow were interviewed about their socio-economic status (occupation, education, income, house ownership), health status (self-rated health) and quality of life (Cantril's ladder).

People with higher level of education and higher occupational status reported significantly better health and better quality of life compared to people who were not as well off. Income level and house ownership had a significant influence on the quality of life of elderly people. In addition, some findings indicate differences in the patterning of health inequalities across particular age and gender groups.

There are socio-economic differences in health and quality of life among the urban elderly population in Poland which are unfavourable for lower social strata.