Educational Inequalities in Disability Linked to Social Security Coverage Among Older Individuals in Five Latin American Countries

Philipp Hessel , Universidad de los Andes
Pieter Sayer, University of Oxford
Carlos Ruimallo-Herl, Erasmus University Rotterdam

We assess the association between social security coverage and disability among older individuals in five Latin American countries, and the extent of existing inequalities and its determinants. Comparative data for individuals aged 60+ in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Paraguay and Uruguay come from the Longitudinal Social Protection Survey (ELPS). Multivariate regression models are used to assess the association between disability and healthcare as well as pension coverage, while concentration indices (CI) and an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition approach were used to assess overall inequalities in disability according to education and their components. With the exception of El Salvador, significant inequalities in disability exist disfavoring lower educated individuals. No significant association exists between healthcare coverage and disability in the five countries, nor does it explain educational inequalities in disability. However, pension access was associated with lower risks of disability in Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay, and explains a substantial share of educational inequality therein.

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 Presented in Session 205. Cross-National Comparisons on Disability and Cognitive Health