Abstract:
Research in ageing and disability has shown that people of lower socio-economic
status experience more difficulties as they grow older than do those of higher socioeconomic
status. However, in Sri Lanka, it is rare to find investigations into disability
in old age carried out by such differentials. This study examines socio-economic
status and disability among older people in Sri Lanka, using secondary data from the
Population and Housing Census, 2012, around six domains of disability such as
seeing, hearing, walking, cognition, self-care and communication. The results indicate
that females report a higher proportion of disabilities than their male counterparts.
Though Sri Lankan females experience a higher life expectancy (79 years) than males
(72 years), females tend to live longer with difficulties as they grow older, which can
have a significant impact on their health and well-being. The results also revealed that
disability persists among middle-old and the oldest-old groups. The majority of the
oldest-old people experience disability in walking (44.6%), seeing (38.7%), hearing
(33.1%), and cognition (25.7%). The highest proportion of females with disabilities
(62%) has been reported from the urban sector, while the highest proportion of males
with disabilities (43.6%) has been reported from the estate sector. Among
demographic and socio-economic factors, age, gender, employment participation,
marital status, and level of education show a significant relationship with the
disability status of older people in Sri Lanka. These findings suggest that policies and
programmes need to focus on improving health infrastructure and geriatric health care
facilities to support older people who have difficulties.
