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Late-Life Hardship at the Intersection of Age and Gender
General Information
Title
Late-Life Hardship at the Intersection of Age and Gender
Author
Yang Li
Publication Type
Journal paper
Outlet
Journal of Poverty
Year
2024
Abstract
Late-life material hardship captures older adults’ inability to
afford necessities. Using data from the Understanding America
Study, this study shows that while older women experienced
higher levels of hardship than older men, the prevalence of
hardship decreased as age increased. Older women had more
hardship at an earlier age (65–69), highlighting the intersectional
disadvantage experienced by older women. The chance
of any hardship for older women was higher than that for older
men in 2021–2022, concurring with recent rises in inflation and
cost-of-living. Policies and interventions to alleviate deprivation
should pay greater attention to older women’s disproportionate
experience of material hardship.