The relationship between health and housing in low-income older adults: A secondary analysis of survey data

Abstract

Objective: To examine the health-housing relationship in low-income older adults, and differences by income and receipt of housing assistance. Design: Secondary analysis of longitudinal survey data. Sample: About 10,858 adults aged 62+ who completed at least one wave of the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) (n = 37,333 observations). Measurements: SIPP variables representing demographics and housing quality, affordability, stability, and neighborhood were analyzed. Low-income and higher-income participants were differentiated by the household income-to-poverty ratio. Results: Low-income participants were significantly more likely to be in poor health and report problems with housing quality, affordability, and neighborhood safety compared to higher-income participants (p