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KMID : 1023720110510010247
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Journal of Welfare for the Aged
2011 Volume.51 No. 1 p.247 ~ p.276
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Measuring the health disparity of older women in South Korea: Using mixed methods
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Chun Hee-Ran
Kang Min-Ah
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Abstract
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Measuring appropriate socioeconomic positions(SEP) to capture health inequality among older women has always been a challenging issue. This study sought to explore mixed methods to better understand health disparity and its causes among Korean women. We followed a sequential explanatory design, in which two data collection methods - qualitative (12 Korean elderly women residing in Seoul with in-depth interviews) and quantitative (564 women with a nationally representative survey), were employed to understand and identify appropriate ways to measure SEPs of older Korean women and its implications on the health disparity. Qualitative interview data were checked, coded and interpreted through an iterative process of discussion and in-depth analyses. Survey data were analyzed for descriptive statistics and of the effect of each SEP and health. In the multi-methods analysis stage, we used a concurrent triangulation design strategy and illustrated the major findings, according to ‘corroboration of findings’, ‘elaboration for deeper meanings’, and ‘initiation of new issues’ steps. In both quan/qual data, most elder women were found to be reporting their health to be poor, often with diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension. Stress related mental problems were also found to be a major precursor to poorer physical health in these women. According to the findings, low education, financial problems, physically demanding work experience, and lack of social support (ie: relationship with children, existence of friends) resulted in poorer self rated health, chronic diseases, limited activity, and depression. Findings from quantitative approach were further supplemented and elaborated with in-depth interpretations of data from face-to-face interviews. We found the cultural meanings of SEP for elder women and cultural specific reasons for their roles in determining health, particularly in regards to the education of and occupations of Korean women. Older women in Korea were often found to have been deprived of educational opportunities regardless of familial affluence. The educational levels of their male siblings, rather than their own, may better reflect the familial economic condition in the childhood of these Korean older women. Also, we found that the quantitative scores of health status and SEP did not linearly match with verbal descriptions. Often the middle category in verbatim could encompass a very wide range of scores. Self-reported health status and SEPs among Korean older women may have different meanings from those for the younger population and should be interpreted with caution. In addition to redefining and expanding the traditional definition of the subjects’ health status, own education, occupation, and income, other SEP indicators of older women for health policy should be taken into account, whilst employing multiple methods. The mixed methods, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, could go some way towards explaining the health disparity in Korean older women.
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KEYWORD
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mixed methods, triangulation, health, older women, socioeconomic position, SEP
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