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Social class and health in youth: Findings from the west of Scotland twenty-07 study

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  • West, Patrick
  • Macintyre, Sally
  • Annandale, Ellen
  • Hunt, Kate

Abstract

The assumption that social class inequalities in health are a persistent feature of the life-course has been questioned in a recent issue of this journal. On the evidence of mortality and chronic illness, the pattern in youth in Britain appears to be characterised by the lack of class differentials, a striking contrast to early adulthood where the familiar picture of health inequalities is observed. The possibility that this finding of relative equality in youth is a consequence of the limited, and potentially inappropriate, health indicators used has now been tested on a cohort of 15-year-olds in the West of Scotland. On a range of indicators, from subjective assessments to objective physical measures, very little evidence of class variation in health is found. The possible transience of the youth pattern is, however, indicated by findings from a cohort of 35-year-olds in the same study, among whom marked class gradients in health are apparent. Possible explanations for the transformation of a pattern of relative class equality in youth into one of inequalities in adulthood are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • West, Patrick & Macintyre, Sally & Annandale, Ellen & Hunt, Kate, 1990. "Social class and health in youth: Findings from the west of Scotland twenty-07 study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 665-673, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:30:y:1990:i:6:p:665-673
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    Cited by:

    1. Sweeting, Helen & West, Patrick & Young, Robert & Der, Geoff, 2010. "Can we explain increases in young people's psychological distress over time?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(10), pages 1819-1830, November.
    2. Fogel, Robert W, 1994. "Economic Growth, Population Theory, and Physiology: The Bearing of Long-Term Processes on the Making of Economic Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(3), pages 369-395, June.
    3. Klocke, Andreas & Stadtmüller, Sven, 2024. "Two generations later: New evidence on health equalisation in youth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 342(C).
    4. Chen, Edith & Martin, Andrew D. & Matthews, Karen A., 2006. "Socioeconomic status and health: Do gradients differ within childhood and adolescence?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(9), pages 2161-2170, May.
    5. Andrea Geckova & Jitse Dijk & Johan Groothoff & Doeke Post, 2002. "Socio-economic differences in health risk behaviour and attitudes towards health risk behaviour among Slovak adolescents," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 47(4), pages 233-239, July.
    6. Green, Michael J. & Stritzel, Haley & Smith, Chelsea & Popham, Frank & Crosnoe, Robert, 2018. "Timing of poverty in childhood and adolescent health: Evidence from the US and UK," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 136-143.

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