The gendered associations between poverty, marital status, and mental health in older Australians

Abstract

Abstract Background Compared to men, older women have poorer mental health and are more vulnerable to poverty. Few studies have examined how gender, marital status and poverty are inter-related and are associated with mental health among this group. Methods Drawing on 17 waves of the Housing Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, fixed-effects regression analysis was utilised to examine associations between: (1) relative poverty (<50% median household income) and mental health (MHI-5); (2) marital status and poverty, among Australians aged 65+years. Effect measu..