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Gender Differences in Material, Psychological, and Social Domains of the Income Gradient in Mortality: Implications for Policy

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  • Peter Muennig
  • Meghan Kuebler
  • Jaeseung Kim
  • Dusan Todorovic
  • Zohn Rosen

Abstract

We set out to examine the material, psychological, and sociological pathways mediating the income gradient in health and mortality. We used the 2008 General Social Survey-National Death Index dataset (N = 26,870), which contains three decades of social survey data in the US linked to thirty years of mortality follow-up. We grouped a large number of variables into 3 domains: material, psychological, and sociological using factor analysis. We then employed discrete-time hazard models to examine the extent to which these three domains mediated the income-mortality association among men and women. Overall, the gradient was weaker for females than for males. While psychological and material factors explained mortality hazards among females, hazards among males were explained only by social capital. Poor health significantly predicted both income and mortality, particularly among females, suggesting a strong role for reverse causation. We also find that many traditional associations between income and mortality are absent in this dataset, such as perceived social status.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Muennig & Meghan Kuebler & Jaeseung Kim & Dusan Todorovic & Zohn Rosen, 2013. "Gender Differences in Material, Psychological, and Social Domains of the Income Gradient in Mortality: Implications for Policy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(3), pages 1-8, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0059191
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059191
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    2. Lawrence, Elizabeth M. & Rogers, Richard G. & Wadsworth, Tim, 2015. "Happiness and longevity in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 115-119.
    3. Abdulkarim M. Meraya & Nilanjana Dwibedi & Xi Tan & Kim Innes & Sophie Mitra & Usha Sambamoorthi, 2018. "The dynamic relationships between economic status and health measures among working‐age adults in the United States," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(8), pages 1160-1174, August.

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