November 26, 2024

Older Australians who rent their homes have shorter life expectancy

New study also finds fewer older renters lived in good health compared to homeowners

A University of Wollongong (UOW) researcher is calling for better housing policies after new research revealed older Australians who rent their homes have shorter life expectancy and fewer years lived in good health compared to homeowners.

Dr Kim Kiely says home ownership is a major source of financial security for older Australians and supports ageing in place.

“Our new study found older Australians who rent their homes live fewer years of healthy independent living compared to homeowners,” Dr Kiely, a healthy ageing expert, said.

“It highlights a critical public health issue that needs to be addressed.”

The study was undertaken by Dr Kiely from UOW’s School of Social Sciences and Dr Mitiku Hambisa from UNSW. Their resulting paper Life course socio-demographic circumstances and the association between housing tenure and disability-free life expectancy in Australia: a longitudinal cohort study was published today (Tuesday 26 November) in BMJ Public Health.

Dr Kiely said the paper’s findings are significant because it underscores the importance of housing affordability and housing stability for health and well-being as we age.

“Older adults express a desire to live in their own home and local community in their later years for as long as possible,” Dr Kiely said.

“Our findings point to a need for policies that address health disparities linked to home ownership.”

The researchers used national data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey for their study. The HILDA Survey is a household-based panel study that collects valuable information about economic and personal wellbeing, labour market dynamics and family life.

Dr Kiely said they defined health in terms of limitations in everyday mobility and selfcare activities such as being unable to walk up stairs, carry groceries, get dressed, and bathe. This data was used to estimate a health expectancy, which divides life expectancy into years lived in good health and poor health.

“What we discovered was that from the age of 65 the life expectancy of renters was 2.3 years shorter than owner occupiers,” Dr Kiely said.

“Male renters had 1.8 fewer years lived in good health and female renters had 3.1 fewer years lived in good health. We found women renters also had more years lived in poor health than women who lived in their own home.

“Inequalities were greater for women than for men. This supports growing concerns for precarious housing arrangements for many single women as they age.”

The researchers’ analysis accounted for earlier life circumstances and social determinants that influence housing and health in later life.

Dr Kiely said with declining home ownership rates among younger Australians, there is a need for policies addressing potential health disparities linked to housing tenure.

“We need to see more policies that involve the provision of secure, affordable and safe housing that enables people to remain engaged and connected in their community as they age,” Dr Kiely said.

“This can help reduce burden on the health and care systems.”

Dr Kiely is a Lecturer in Statistics and Data Science in the School of Social Sciences and School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics. His research explores healthy ageing across the life-course and includes behavioural and social determinants of health expectancy, social inequalities in healthy longevity, and dementia prevention.

More information

Life course socio-demographic circumstances and the association between housing tenure and disability-free life expectancy in Australia: a longitudinal cohort study was published in BMJ Public Health.

It is authored by Dr Kim Kiely and Dr Mitiku Hambisa.

This research was funded by Australian Research Council (ARC) grant #DP190100459