Continuity and Change in the Social Stratification of Aging and Health Over the Life Course: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study From 1986 to 2001/2002 (Americans' Changing Lives Study)

Abstract

The results indicate that understanding and alleviating social disparities in health are both theoretically and methodologically quintessential problems of life course analysis and research.

Subjective Social Status and Functional Decline in Older Adults

“…Indeed, evidence has shown that the effects of socioeconomic disparities on health may have the most impact earlier in life, perhaps due to mortality selection. [30][31][32] Since SSS comes from a person's assessment of his or her own station, it might be a domain that reflects the cumulative impact of an individual's shifting SES throughout his or her lifetime. A growing literature also links neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics to the health of its residents.…”

Barriers to outdoor physical activity and unmet physical activity need in older adults

“…Behavioral and lifestyle factors, such as eating habits, tobacco use and physical activity have been identified as important correlates for health (Lee et al 2012). Several studies have confirmed the association between low SES and adverse health outcomes (Braveman & Gottlieb 2014, House, Lantz & Herd 2005. Health disparity research has also been conducted from a life course perspective, taking into account factors from the past and the present, thus reflecting resources and risks affecting health over a longer period of time (Braveman 2014b).…”

“…Other measures of SES, such as income, have also been associated with health status in old age (Dahl & Birkelund 1997). A social gradient has also been seen in the compression of morbidity and functional limitations (House, Lantz & Herd 2005). Childhood SES also has an effect on mortality (Giesinger et al 2014).…”

“…On the other hand, the same argument can be made for education. Some studies have used more than one measure of SES and shown that different SES measures can result in somewhat different results (Enroth et al 2015, House, Lantz & Herd 2005. Interestingly, a British study, which investigated the relationship between SES and telomere length, found that higher education was associated with longer telomeres among older adults, whereas occupation and income were not (Steptoe et al 2011).…”

“…According to studies which have tested the theory of fundamental causes, disparities are due to the fact that the resources needed for better health are more readily available to people with higher SES, and that to decrease disparities the public resources should be targeted more frequently to people in less advantaged positions (House, Lantz & Herd 2005). On individual level, interventions or help can be targeted to those who have the highest risks or the strongest need of help (Cohen, Scribner & Farley 2000).…”