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The impact of socioeconomic status on health functioning as assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire: The Whitehall II study

Author

Listed:
  • Hemingway, H.
  • Nicholson, A.
  • Stafford, M.
  • Roberts, R.
  • Marmot, M.

Abstract

Objectives. This study measured the association between socioeconomic status and the eight scale scores of the Medical Outcomes Study short form 36 (SF-36) general health survey in the Whitehall II study of British civil servants. It also assessed, for the physical functioning scale, whether this association was independent of disease. Methods. A questionnaire containing the SF-36 was administered at the third phase of the study to 5766 men and 2589 women aged 39 through 63 years. Socioeconomic status was measured by means of six levels of employment grades. Results. There were significant improvements with age in general mental health, role-emotional, vitality, and social functioning scale scores. In men, all the scales except vitality showed significant age-adjusted gradients across the employment grades (lower grades, worse health). Among women, a similar relationship was found for the physical functioning, pain, and social, functioning scales. For physical functioning, the effect of grade was found in those with and without disease. Conclusions. Low socioeconomic status was associated with poor health functioning, and the effect sizes were comparable to those for some clinical conditions. For physical functioning, this association may act both via and independently of disease.

Suggested Citation

  • Hemingway, H. & Nicholson, A. & Stafford, M. & Roberts, R. & Marmot, M., 1997. "The impact of socioeconomic status on health functioning as assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire: The Whitehall II study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 87(9), pages 1484-1490.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1997:87:9:1484-1490_2
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    Cited by:

    1. Rachel A Morello-Frosch, 2002. "Discrimination and the Political Economy of Environmental Inequality," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 20(4), pages 477-496, August.
    2. Sekine, Michikazu & Chandola, Tarani & Martikainen, Pekka & Marmot, Michael & Kagamimori, Sadanobu, 2009. "Socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental functioning of British, Finnish, and Japanese civil servants: Role of job demand, control, and work hours," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1417-1425, November.
    3. Mäkinen, Tomi & Laaksonen, Mikko & Lahelma, Eero & Rahkonen, Ossi, 2006. "Associations of childhood circumstances with physical and mental functioning in adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(8), pages 1831-1839, April.
    4. Eleni Lahana & Evelina Pappa & Dimitris Niakas, 2010. "The impact of ethnicity, place of residence and socioeconomic status on health-related quality of life: results from a Greek health survey," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 55(5), pages 391-400, October.
    5. Dusanee Kesavayuth & Prompong Shangkhum & Vasileios Zikos, 2022. "Well-Being and Physical Health: A Mediation Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2849-2879, August.
    6. Ibrahim, S. & Smith, P. & Muntaner, C., 2009. "A multi-group cross-lagged analyses of work stressors and health using Canadian National sample," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 49-59, January.
    7. Lahelma, Eero & Laaksonen, Mikko & Martikainen, Pekka & Rahkonen, Ossi & Sarlio-Lähteenkorva, Sirpa, 2006. "Multiple measures of socioeconomic circumstances and common mental disorders," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(5), pages 1383-1399, September.
    8. Scott Lynch, 2003. "Cohort and life-course patterns in the relationship between education and health: A hierarchical approach," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(2), pages 309-331, May.
    9. Rubin, Sara & Zimmer, Zachary, 2015. "Pain and self-assessed health: Does the association vary by age?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 259-267.
    10. Arokiasamy, Perianayagam & Uttamacharya, Uttamacharya & Kowal, Paul, 2013. "Socioeconomic and age gradients of health of Indian adults: an assessment of self-reported and performance-based measures of health," MPRA Paper 54912, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Feb 2014.
    11. Atalay, Kadir & Edwards, Rebecca & Liu, Betty Y.J., 2017. "Effects of house prices on health: New evidence from Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 36-48.
    12. Aimee J. Palumbo & Anneclaire J. De Roos & Carolyn Cannuscio & Lucy Robinson & Jana Mossey & Julie Weitlauf & Lorena Garcia & Robert Wallace & Yvonne Michael, 2017. "Work Characteristics Associated with Physical Functioning in Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-19, April.
    13. Schafer, Markus H. & Ferraro, Kenneth F., 2011. "Distal and variably proximal causes: Education, obesity, and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(9), pages 1340-1348.
    14. Benjamin W. Chrisinger & Sparkle Springfield & Eric A. Whitsel & Aladdin H. Shadyab & Jessica L. Krok-Schoen & Lorena Garcia & Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson & Marcia L. Stefanick, 2022. "The Association of Neighborhood Changes with Health-Related Quality of Life in the Women’s Health Initiative," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, April.
    15. Hsuan-Wei Lee & Yen-Ping Chang & Yen-Sheng Chiang, 2020. "Status hierarchy and group cooperation: A generalized model," Papers 2004.00944, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2020.
    16. Maria Klonowska-Matynia & Radosław Sobko, 2021. "Spatial Analysis of the Relationship between Health Capital and the Level of Health Care Expenditure in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 1), pages 133-151.
    17. Cerin, Ester & Leslie, Eva, 2008. "How socio-economic status contributes to participation in leisure-time physical activity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2596-2609, June.

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