Cited by 74Health disparities and outcomesBullying, Victimization, and AggressionChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Peer status in school and adult disease risk: a 30-year follow-up study of disease-specific morbidity in a Stockholm cohort

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Almquist, Y·2009·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

Abstract

Background: Children have a social status position of their own, apart from that of the family, that may have an impact on short-term and long-term health. The aim of the present study was to analyse the associations between childhood social status in school (ie, peer status) and disease-specific morbidity in adulthood. Methods: Data were derived from a longitudinal study using a 1953 cohort born in Stockholm, Sweden: The Stockholm Birth Cohort Study (1953–2003). Peer status was sociometrically assessed in sixth grade (1966). Hazard ratios for adult disease-specific morbidity based on information on inpatient care (1973–2003) were calculated by peer status category for men and women separately, using Cox regression. Results: The results indicate that the lower the childhood peer status, the higher the overall adult disease risk. There were, however, differences in the degree and magnitude to which disease-specific inpatient care varied with peer status. Some of the steepest gradients were found for mental and behavioural disorders (eg, alcohol abuse and drug dependence), external causes (eg, suicide) and various lifestyle-related diseases (eg, ischaemic heart disease and diabetes). The results were not explained by childhood social class. Conclusion: The present study underlines the importance of recognising children’s social position, apart from that of their family, for later health. Not only psychologically related diseases but also those related to behavioural risk factors demonstrate some of the largest relative differences by peer status, suggesting that health-related behaviour may be one important mechanism in the association between peer status and morbidity.

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Crossref · 10.1136/jech.2009.088377

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Authors
Almquist, Y.
Affiliations
Stockholm University (SE)
Corresponding author
Almquist, Y
Venue
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2009-09-29
Volume
63
Issue
12
Pages
1028-1034
ISSN
  • 0141-7681 (ISSN-L)
  • 0143-005X
  • 1470-2738
OpenAlex
W2165812597
Cited by
74
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 21 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 6
FWCI
4.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Trinity's Access to Research Output (TARA) (Trinity College Dublin) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
peer status, sociometric status, adult disease risk, inpatient care, mental and behavioral disorders, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, suicide, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, lifestyle-related diseases, health behavior
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Child, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Morbidity, Peer Group, Social Class, Social Desirability, Sociometric Techniques, Students, Sweden, Proportional Hazards Models, Health Status Disparities

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