Associations of Successful Aging With Socioeconomic Position Across the Life-Course: The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Prospective Cohort Study.

Elise Whitley,Frank Popham,Michaela Benzeval

doi:10.1177/0898264316665208

Elise Whitley, Frank Popham + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264316665208

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Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate how socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with multidimensional measures of successful aging (SA), and how this varies and accumulates across the life-course. Method: Using data from 1,733 Scottish men and women from two cohorts aged around 57 and 76, respectively, we explored associations of SA, based on the Rowe–Kahn model, with 10 measures of SEP measured in childhood and, distally and proximally, in adulthood. Results: Individual SEP associations with SA score were generally consistent across different indicators and life stages: Respondents with the most versus least favorable SEP had two additional positive SA dimensions. There was also a strong association between SA and cumulative SEP based on all 10 measures combined; respondents with the most versus least favorable lifelong SEP had four additional positive SA dimensions. Conclusion: SEP advantages/disadvantages act and accumulate across the life-course, resulting in widening socioeconomic inequalities in SA in later life.

Highlights

Populations around the world are aging (Christensen, Doblhammer, Rau, & Vaupel, 2009)
In addition to exploring individual socioeconomic position (SEP) associations, we considered SEP accumulated across all periods and measures by summing the Indices of Inequality for all 10 SEP measures and rescaling to get a score between 0 and 1
Respondents not included in analyses had somewhat lower successful aging (SA) scores and less favorable SEP

Summary

Introduction

Populations around the world are aging (Christensen, Doblhammer, Rau, & Vaupel, 2009). More recent work has given increasing emphasis to the views of older people themselves (Cosco, Prina, Perales, Stephan, & Brayne, 2013, 2014b; Ferri, James, & Pruchno, 2009; Phelan, Anderson, Lacroix, & Larson, 2004; Reichstadt, Sengupta, Depp, Palinkas, & Jeste, 2010; Tate, Lah, & Cuddy, 2003), who consider these clinical aspects to be less important and are more likely to prioritize social engagement, well-being, and independence (Cosco et al, 2013) This disparity in views is highlighted by a number of studies demonstrating that many older people who consider themselves to be aging successfully do not meet researcher-defined SA criteria (McLaughlin, Jette, & Connell, 2012; Montross et al, 2006; Strawbridge, Wallhagen, & Cohen, 2002; von Faber et al, 2001; Young, Frick, & Phelan, 2009). It is important to consider a broader, more multidimensional model of SA

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