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Lower socioeconomic status and the acceleration of aging: An outcome-wide analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Steptoe

    (Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom)

  • Steptoe Zaninotto

    (Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom)

Abstract

Aging involves decline in a range of functional abilities and phenotypes, many of which are also associated with socioeconomic status (SES). Here we assessed whether lower SES is a determinant of the rate of decline over 8 y in six domains—physical capability, sensory function, physiological function, cognitive performance, emotional well-being, and social function—in a sample of 5,018 men and women aged 64.44 (SD 8.49) y on average at baseline. Wealth was used as the marker of SES, and all analyses controlled for age, gender, ethnicity, educational attainment, and long-term health conditions. Lower SES was associated with greater adverse changes in physical capability (grip strength, gait speed, and physical activity), sensory function (sight impairment), physiological function (plasma fibrinogen concentration and lung function), cognitive performance (memory, executive function, and processing speed), emotional well-being (enjoyment of life and depressive symptoms), and social function (organizational membership, number of close friends, volunteering, and cultural engagement). Effects were maintained when controlling statistically for other factors such as smoking, marital/partnership status, and self-rated health and were also present when analyses were limited to participants aged ≤75 y. We conclude that lower SES is related to accelerated aging across a broad range of functional abilities and phenotypes independently of the presence of health conditions and that social circumstances impinge on multiple aspects of aging.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Steptoe & Steptoe Zaninotto, 2020. "Lower socioeconomic status and the acceleration of aging: An outcome-wide analysis," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(26), pages 14911-14917, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:117:y:2020:p:14911-14917
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ming-Chang Chiang & Chiahui Yen & Hsiu-Li Chen, 2022. "Does Age Matter? Using Neuroscience Approaches to Understand Consumers’ Behavior towards Purchasing the Sustainable Product Online," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Daniel J. Exeter & Olivia Healey & Jessie Colbert & Nichola Shackleton, 2023. "Developing SEP65: A Census-Derived Index of Socio-Economic Position Specifically for the Older Population in Aotearoa New Zealand," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 973-991, October.
    3. Klaudia Przybysz & Agnieszka Stanimir, 2023. "Measuring Activity—The Picture of Seniors in Poland and Other European Union Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Ryan J. Scalsky & Yi-Ju Chen & Zhekang Ying & James A. Perry & Charles C. Hong, 2022. "The Social and Natural Environment’s Impact on SARS-CoV-2 Infections in the UK Biobank," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-9, January.
    5. Emily Jezewski & Abigale Miller & MaryAnn Eusebio & Jane Potter, 2022. "Targeted Telehealth Education Increases Interest in Using Telehealth among a Diverse Group of Low-Income Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-9, October.
    6. Stephanie Langevin & Ashalom Caspi & J. C. Barnes & Grace Brennan & Richie Poulton & Suzanne C. Purdy & Sandhya Ramrakha & Peter T. Tanksley & Peter R. Thorne & Graham Wilson & Terrie E. Moffitt, 2022. "Life-Course Persistent Antisocial Behavior and Accelerated Biological Aging in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-19, November.

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