ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2014
Early-life socioeconomic status and mortality in later life: an integration of four life-course mechanisms.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers.
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Who cites it
63 citing papers in PubMed.
- Family and neighborhood environments in adolescence and subsequent mortality.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2026Article
- Sex differences in life-course social disadvantage and all-cause mortality: evidence from a longitudinal study from 1996 to 2023.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The relationship between social mobility and mortality: analysis of intercensal data (1991, 2001, and 2011).European journal of public health · 2026Article
- The "long arm of childhood" on mortality in older adulthood in the United States and Brazil: examining the role of educational attainment and differences by gender.American journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Article
- Both childhood and adult perceived financial strain impact age trajectories of change in emotional health in late adulthood.Aging & mental health · 2025Observational
- Exploring longitudinal associations between social determinants of health during adolescence and self-reported contraceptive use in young adulthood in the United States.Preventive medicine reports · 2025Article
- Intergenerational mobility, race, and allostatic load: Diminished health returns for Black older adults?SSM - population health · 2025Article
- Sociodemographic moderators of the association between functional limitations and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- The effect of childhood socioeconomic status on adult self-rated health by age and race.Longitudinal and life course studies : international journal · 2024Article
- Lead exposure across the life course and age at death.The Science of the total environment · 2024Article
- Impact of childhood and adult socioeconomic position on change in functional aging.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2024Article
- Intra-generational social mobility and mortality among older men in the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project: A cohort study.SSM - population health · 2024Article
- Childhood and adult socioeconomic status influence on late-life healthy longevity: evidence from the Chinese longitudinal healthy longevity survey.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- When National Origins Equal Socio-economic Background: The Effect of the Ethno-class Parental Background on the Education of Children Coming of Age in Switzerland.Journal of international migration and integration · 2024Article
- Life course socioeconomic status, chronic pain, and the mediating role of allostatic load: findings from the midlife in the United States.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- The relationship between childhood SES and health in middle and old age: evidence from China.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Education, Social Engagement, and Cognitive Function: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2023Article
- Spiritually Well, Mentally Well? Examining the Early Life Religious Antecedents of the Impact of Spiritual Well-Being on Mental Health Among United Methodist Clergy in North Carolina.Journal of religion and health · 2023Article
- Age at first birth and women's midlife health: Cohort and race differences across the 20th century.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2023Article
3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesUsing data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we examine (a) how socioeconomic status (SES) at age 18 affects all-cause mortality at ages 54-72, and (b) whether the effect of early-life SES is consistent with the critical period, accumulation of risks, social mobility, and pathway models. We also explore gender differences in the effect of early-life SES and life-course mechanisms.
methodParticipants (N = 6,547) were surveyed in 1957, 1975, and 1993, with vital status established until 2011. We combine discrete-time survival analysis with structural equation modeling. SES and health behaviors are modeled as latent factors.
resultsEarly-life SES affects mortality indirectly via status attainment and health behaviors in adulthood and midlife. This finding is contrary to the critical period and consistent with the pathway model. Persistent disadvantage at three life stages is a strong risk factor for mortality, thus, supporting the accumulation of risks. Moreover, the mortality risk of individuals who experienced downward socioeconomic mobility is comparable to their peers with persistent disadvantage. DISCUSSION: This study highlights the complexity of interrelated life-course processes underlying the effect of early-life SES on mortality in later life.
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