| HOME | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RESEARCH ARTICLE |
Center on Aging, University of Chicago/National Opinion Research Center, Illinois.
Address correspondence to Dr. Ye Luo, 1155 E. 60 St., Suite 049, Chicago, IL 60637. E-mail: y-luo{at}uchicago.edu
Objectives. To examine the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES) and health across the life course and their variations by gender and race/ethnicity.
Methods. The sample included 19,949 respondents aged 50 or over from the 1998 Health and Retirement Study.
Results. Lower childhood SES was associated with worse health outcomes in later life. Part of the effect of childhood SES on adult health occurred through childhood health. The impact of childhood SES on education and income in adulthood explained an even larger share of this effect. We also found a stronger effect of adult SES for those with lower childhood SES than for those with more advantaged childhoods. Moreover, childhood SES had a similar impact on health in later life for women and men and for Whites and non-Whites. However, college education seemed more important for women's later health, whereas income seemed more important for men's health. Education appeared to have a weaker effect on adult health for Blacks and Hispanics than for Whites.
Discussion. Both childhood and adult SES are important for health. The negative impact of low childhood SES can be partially ameliorated if people from a low SES position during childhood mobilize to higher status in adulthood.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  S. Fors, C. Lennartsson, and O. Lundberg Childhood Living Conditions, Socioeconomic Position in Adulthood, and Cognition in Later Life: Exploring the Associations J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, May 6, 2009; (2009) gbp029v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. C. Maty, J. W. Lynch, T. E. Raghunathan, and G. A. Kaplan Childhood Socioeconomic Position, Gender, Adult Body Mass Index, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Over 34 Years in the Alameda County Study Am J Public Health, August 1, 2008; 98(8): 1486 - 1494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Z. Zhang, D. Gu, and M. D. Hayward Early Life Influences on Cognitive Impairment Among Oldest Old Chinese J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., January 1, 2008; 63(1): S25 - S33. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Moody-Ayers, K. Lindquist, S. Sen, and K. E. Covinsky Childhood Social and Economic Well-Being and Health in Older Age Am. J. Epidemiol., November 1, 2007; 166(9): 1059 - 1067. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Feinglass, S. Lin, J. Thompson, J. Sudano, D. Dunlop, J. Song, and D. W. Baker Baseline Health, Socioeconomic Status, and 10-Year Mortality Among Older Middle-Aged Americans: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study, 1992 2002 J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., July 1, 2007; 62(4): S209 - S217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Schanzer, B. Dominguez, P. E. Shrout, and C. L.M. Caton Homelessness, Health Status, and Health Care Use Am J Public Health, March 1, 2007; 97(3): 464 - 469. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. J. Morasco, R. H. Pietrzak, C. Blanco, B. F. Grant, D. Hasin, and N. M. Petry Health Problems and Medical Utilization Associated With Gambling Disorders: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Psychosom Med, November 1, 2006; 68(6): 976 - 984. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Hyde, H. Jakub, M. Melchior, F. Van Oort, and S. Weyers Comparison of the effects of low childhood socioeconomic position and low adulthood socioeconomic position on self rated health in four European studies. J Epidemiol Community Health, October 1, 2006; 60(10): 882 - 886. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|---|
