Stress, Life Events, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Health: Results from the Americans' Changing Lives Study
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that exposure to stress and negative life events is related to poor health outcomes, and that differential exposure to stress plays a role in socioeconomic disparities in health. Data from three waves of the Americans' Changing Lives study (n = 3,617) were analyzed to investigate prospectively the relationship among socioeconomic indicators, five measures of stress/negative life events, and the health outcomes of mortality, functional limitations, and self-rated health. The results revealed that (1) life events and other types of stressors are clearly related to socioeconomic position; (2) a count of negative lifetime events was positively associated with mortality; (3) a higher score on a financial stress scale was predictive of severe/moderate functional limitations and fair/poor self-rated health at wave 3; and (4) a higher score on a parental stress scale was predictive of fair/poor self-rated health at wave 3. The negative effects of low income on functional limitations attenuated to insignificance when waves 1 and 2 stress/life event measures were controlled for, but other socioeconomic disparities in health change remained sizable and significant when adjusted for exposure to stressors. The results support the hypothesis that differential exposure to stress and negative life events is one of many ways in which socioeconomic inequalities in health are produced in society.
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Economic vulnerability and ongoing financial strain lead to negative affect and stress.
“Negative affect and stress are consequences of economic vulnerability and persistent financial pressure (Lantz, House, Mero, & Williams, 2005; McLeod & Kessler, 1990).”
From A randomized controlled trial protocol for engaging distress tolerance and working memory to aid smoking cessation in low socioeconomic status (SES) adults (2020) · cites this paper as Lantz, House, Mero, & Williams, 2005
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- Authors
- Lantz, P. M., House, J. S., Mero, R. P., & Williams, D. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lantz, Paula M.
- ORCID
- Williams, David R.
- Venue
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2005-09
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 274-288
- ISSN
- 0022-1465 (ISSN-L)
- 2150-6000
- OpenAlex
- W2166777945
- Cited by
- 644
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 65 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 13.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG018418)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Health › Public Health and Social Inequalities
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Employment and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- stress, negative life events, socioeconomic inequalities in health, financial stress, parental stress, mortality, functional limitations, self-rated health, low income, Americans' Changing Lives Study, health disparities
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Data Collection, Female, Health Status, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Social Class, Stress, Psychological, United States
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