Socioeconomic and psychosocial predictors of interleukin-6 in the MIDUS national sample
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether psychosocial factors (i.e., depression, anxiety, and well-being) moderated educational gradients in interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels using data from the Survey of Midlife Development in the U.S. (MIDUS). The influences of educational attainment and psychosocial factors on IL-6 in middle aged and older adults were also examined. DESIGN: Telephone interviews and mail surveys were utilized to collect educational attainment and psychosocial information from respondents (N = 1028). Respondents also participated in an overnight clinic visit, during which health information and a fasting blood sample were obtained. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum levels of IL-6. RESULTS: Greater educational attainment predicted lower levels of IL-6 independent of age and gender, although this effect was attenuated after taking health behaviors, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and chronic illnesses into account. Psychological well-being interacted with education to predict IL-6, such that for those with less education, higher well-being was associated with lower levels of IL-6. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a strong association between education and inflammation, which can be further moderated by psychosocial factors. The health benefits associated with psychological well-being were particularly evident for individuals with low educational attainment.
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Further work has linked purpose to better regulation of physiological systems (e.g., reduced inflammatory markers and cardiovascular risk factors) as well as brain-based mechanisms (e.g., insular cortex volume, reduced amygdala activation, sustained ventral striatum activation).
“Further work has linked purpose to better regulation of physiological systems (e.g., reduced inflammatory markers and cardiovascular risk factors) as well as brain-based mechanisms (e.g., insular cortex volume, reduced amygdala activation, sustained ventral striatum activation) (22 -30).”
From Purpose in life and use of preventive health care services (2014) · cites this paper as [29]
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- Authors
- Morozink, J. A., Friedman, E. M., Coe, C. L., & Ryff, C. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Venue
- Health Psychology
- Published
- 2010
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 626-635
- ISSN
- 0278-6133 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-7810
- PMC
- PMC2991411
- OpenAlex
- W2134342413
- Cited by
- 186
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 10.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (P01-AG020166)
- John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- General Clinical Research Centers Program (M01-RR023942; M01-RR00865)
- National Institutes of Health (1UL1RR025011)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
- Keywords
- interleukin-6, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, psychological well-being, depression, anxiety, inflammation, middle-aged and older adults, psychosocial factors, health behavior, body mass index, chronic disease
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anxiety, Depression, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Regression Analysis, United States, Biomarkers, Interleukin-6, Multivariate Analysis
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