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Status relations in school and their relevance for health in a life course perspective: Findings from the Aberdeen children of the 1950's cohort study

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  • Östberg, Viveca
  • Modin, Bitte

Abstract

In the class room a hierarchical structure of social relations typically develops in which the child's position is a marker of the view of the others, i.e. the extent to which he or she is an accepted and valued member of the group. The status distribution in the school class is likely to correspond to differences in personal characteristics, including behaviours and competencies, and to generate a differential distribution of perceived expectations, treatment, resources and emotions. We argue that these phenomena constitute parts in a developmental process which, through mediators such as self-view and subsequent life choices, may affect adult health. The purpose of this paper is to study whether and how peer status is associated with self-reported health in mid-life. Data was derived from a cohort study of individuals born in Aberdeen, Scotland, between 1950 and 1956. We use information about childhood circumstances, including peer status nominations, collected in the early 1960s, and information about adult circumstances derived from a postal questionnaire carried out among more than 6000 individuals in 2001-2003. Multivariate analyses yielded a graded association between peer status and adult health problems in the form of limiting longstanding illness and less than good self-rated health. These associations could not be explained by socioeconomic circumstances or differences in individual behaviour and cognitive score in childhood. It was rather subsequent socioeconomic career that seemed to explain the association found among men. For women, a significant association remained, suggesting alternative pathways or mechanisms.

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  • Östberg, Viveca & Modin, Bitte, 2008. "Status relations in school and their relevance for health in a life course perspective: Findings from the Aberdeen children of the 1950's cohort study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 835-848, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:66:y:2008:i:4:p:835-848
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Östberg, Viveca, 2003. "Children in classrooms: peer status, status distribution and mental well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 17-29, January.
    2. Michell, Lynn & Amos, Amanda, 1997. "Girls, pecking order and smoking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 44(12), pages 1861-1869, June.
    3. Mossey, J.M. & Shapiro, E., 1982. "Self-rated health: a predictor of mortality among the elderly," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 72(8), pages 800-808.
    4. Power, C. & Hyppönen, E. & Smith, G.D., 2005. "Socioeconomic position in childhood and early adult life and risk of mortality: A prospective study of the mothers of the 1958 British birth cohort," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(8), pages 1396-1402.
    5. Lawlor, D.A. & Batty, G.D. & Morton, S.M.B. & Clark, H. & Macintyre, S. & Leon, D.A., 2005. "Childhood socioeconomic position, educational attainment, and adult cardiovascular Risk Factors: The Aberdeen children of the 1950s cohort study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(7), pages 1245-1251.
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    Cited by:

    1. Per E Gustafsson & Urban Janlert & Töres Theorell & Hugo Westerlund & Anne Hammarström, 2012. "Do Peer Relations in Adolescence Influence Health in Adulthood? Peer Problems in the School Setting and the Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Age," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(6), pages 1-10, June.
    2. Sarah Jewell & Uma Kambhampati, 2015. "Are Happy Youth Also Satisfied Adults? An Analysis of the Impact of Childhood Factors on Adult Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(2), pages 543-567, April.
    3. Sweeting, Helen & Hunt, Kate, 2014. "Adolescent socio-economic and school-based social status, health and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 39-47.

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