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Allostatic Load and Exposure Histories of Disadvantage

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  • Lucy Prior

    (School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK)

Abstract

The stress pathway posits that those in disadvantaged circumstances are exposed to a higher degree of stressful experiences over time resulting in an accumulated biological burden which subsequently relates to poorer health. Trajectories of disadvantage, in the form of neighbourhood deprivation and structural social capital, are evaluated in their relation to allostatic load representing the cumulative “wear and tear” of chronic stress. This paper uses data from the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society in a latent class growth analysis. We identify groups of exposure trajectories over time using these classes to predict allostatic load at the final wave. The results show that persistent exposure to higher deprivation is related to worse allostatic load. High structural social capital over time relates to lower allostatic load, in line with a stress buffering effect, though this relationship is not robust to controlling for individual sociodemographic characteristics. By demonstrating a gradient in allostatic load by histories of deprivation, this analysis supports a biological embedding of disadvantage through chronic exposure to stressful environments as an explanation for social health inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucy Prior, 2021. "Allostatic Load and Exposure Histories of Disadvantage," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7222-:d:589270
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    3. Benzeval, Michaela & Davillas, Apostolos & Kumari, Meena & Lynn, Peter, 2014. "Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study Biomarker User Guide and Glossary," MPRA Paper 114713, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Lok Ming Tam & Kristin Hocker & Tamala David & Edith Marie Williams, 2024. "The Influence of Social Dynamics on Biological Aging and the Health of Historically Marginalized Populations: A Biopsychosocial Model for Health Disparities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(5), pages 1-20, April.
    5. Shawna Beese & Julie Postma & Janessa M. Graves, 2022. "Allostatic Load Measurement: A Systematic Review of Reviews, Database Inventory, and Considerations for Neighborhood Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-23, December.

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