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How does debt shape health outcomes for older Americans?
Stipica Mudrazija1, Barbara A Butrica2
1Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, USA.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|June 18, 2023
Summary
Carrying any debt negatively impacts older adults' physical and mental health. Unsecured debt poses a substantial risk, highlighting the need for policies promoting prudent debt management in retirement.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Economics
- Public Health
Background:
- The link between debt and health is established, but understudied in older adults despite rising indebtedness.
- Existing research lacks clarity on the causal pathways between poor health and debt.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between debt amount and type with physical and mental health in older adults.
- To address endogeneity between debt and health using advanced statistical models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2016).
- Employed marginal structural models and population-averaged models to analyze debt-health relationships.
- Examined various physical and mental health measures.
Main Results:
- Any level of debt negatively affects older adults' physical and mental health outcomes.
- Increased debt correlates with more severe negative health impacts.
- Unsecured debt demonstrates a substantial negative impact on health, unlike secured debt.
Conclusions:
- Debt accumulation, particularly unsecured debt, poses significant risks to older adults' health.
- Policies encouraging responsible debt management and discouraging high debt burdens into retirement are recommended to improve health outcomes.
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