Still Feeling Better? Trends in Self-Rated Health of Older Adults in the U.S

Previous analyses showed an overall pattern of improvement in self-rated health of U.S. older adults in the 1980s and the 1990s, but it was uncertain if the declining shares of elderly persons reporting fair or poor health would continue over the next decades. Using the 2000-2018 pooled data from the National Health Interview Survey, this study examined recent trends in self-rated health of adults aged 45 and older. The results showed important variations in self-rated health trends across age groups. Between 2000 and 2018, the shares of adults aged 60 and above reporting fair or poor health declined significantly while self-rated health trends for middle-aged adults worsened over time. Educational and racial/ethnic differentials in self-rated health persisted over time but there were important group variations. To further improve the health of the elderly population, it is important to consider changing health disparities in later life.