Associations of Health and Financial Resources With Stress: Applying the Theory of Conservation of Resources

Abstract

Health and financial resources are two important resources when individuals experience stress. The conservation of resources (COR) theory was used to view how health and financial resources relate to stress. The purpose of this study was to test how the perceived accumulation and loss of financial and health resources influences general life stress and financial stress. Participants were recruited through Facebook and LinkedIn pages of the primary investigator and paper flyers posted in the breakroom of a New England financial institution. Additional participants were purchased through Qualtrics, a research panel provider, in order to increase the sample size. The sample consisted of individuals between the ages of 19 and 65 years. The data analysis explored the association between financial stress, general life stress, resources, and several demographic variables using the Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) program. Respondents were primarily White, female, and averaged less than two dependents. Annual household income ranged between $50,000 and $100,000. Results indicate that health resources, along with being White, make significant contributions to the variance in general life stress. Financial resources, success resources, being White, and level of household income make significant contributions to the variance in financial stress.