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Socioeconomic Status and Biological Risks for Health and Illness Across the Life Course

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  • Yang Claire Yang
  • Kristen Schorpp
  • Courtney Boen
  • Moira Johnson
  • Kathleen Mullan Harris
  • Deborah Carr

Abstract

ObjectivesWe assess the temporal properties and biosocial mechanisms underlying the associations between early-life socioeconomic status (SES) and later health. Using a life-course design spanning adolescence to older adulthood, we assess how early life and various dimensions of adult SES are associated with immune and metabolic function in different life stages and examine possible bio-behavioral and psychosocial mechanisms underlying these associations.MethodData for this study come from 3 national studies that collectively cover multiple stages of the life course (Add Health, MIDUS, and HRS). We estimated generalized linear models to examine the prospective associations between early-life SES, adult SES, and biomarkers of chronic inflammation and metabolic disorder assessed at follow-up. We further conducted formal tests of mediation to assess the role of adult SES in linking early SES to biological functions.ResultsWe found that early-life SES exerted consistent protective effects for metabolic disorder across the life span, but waned with time for CRP. The protective effect of respondent education remained persistent for CRP but declined with age for metabolic disorder. Adult income and assets primarily protected respondents against physiological dysregulation in middle and old ages, but not in early adulthood.DiscussionThese findings are the first to elucidate the life-course patterns of SES that matter for underlying physiological functioning during the aging process to produce social gradients in health.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang Claire Yang & Kristen Schorpp & Courtney Boen & Moira Johnson & Kathleen Mullan Harris & Deborah Carr, 2020. "Socioeconomic Status and Biological Risks for Health and Illness Across the Life Course," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 75(3), pages 613-624.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:75:y:2020:i:3:p:613-624.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gby108
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    1. Pamela Herd & Brian Goesling & James S. House, "undated". "Socioeconomic Position and Health: The Differential Effects of Education versus Income on the Onset versus Progression of Health Problems," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 441d34cf576545a8b8bd05ca7, Mathematica Policy Research.
    2. Boen, Courtney & Yang, Y. Claire, 2016. "The physiological impacts of wealth shocks in late life: Evidence from the Great Recession," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 221-230.
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    2. Manuela Abbate & Jordi Pericas & Aina M. Yañez & Angel A. López-González & Joan De Pedro-Gómez & Antoni Aguilo & José M. Morales-Asencio & Miquel Bennasar-Veny, 2021. "Socioeconomic Inequalities in Metabolic Syndrome by Age and Gender in a Spanish Working Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Brady, David & Guerra, Christian & Kohler, Ulrich & Link, Bruce, 2022. "The Long Arm of Prospective Childhood Income for Mature Adult Health in the United States," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 63(4), pages 543-559.
    4. Cha, Hyungmin, 2022. "Past, present, and future dimensions of socioeconomic status and sexual self-efficacy of young women during the transition into adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    5. Harari, Lexi & Lee, Chioun, 2021. "Intersectionality in quantitative health disparities research: A systematic review of challenges and limitations in empirical studies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).

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