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Journal ArticleDOI

Beyond conventional socioeconomic status: examining subjective and objective social status with self-reported health among Asian immigrants.

01 Aug 2012-Journal of Behavioral Medicine (Springer US)-Vol. 35, Iss: 4, pp 407-419
TL;DR: This study suggested a promising avenue to incorporate subjective SES in health disparities research, especially among immigrants, by examining the impact of subjective as well as objective SES upon multiple self-reported health outcomes among Asian immigrants.
Abstract: Despite mounting evidence for a strong and persistent association between socioeconomic status (SES) and health, this relationship is largely unknown among Asian immigrants, a fast growing minority group in the US population. Previous research has typically focused on objective SES (primarily education and income) and ignored self-perceived SES. Using data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) (N = 1,570), we examined the impact of subjective as well as objective SES upon multiple self-reported health outcomes among Asian immigrants. Results indicated that conventional SES indicators by and large were non-significantly related to self-rated physical health, physical discomfort, self-rated mental health, and psychological distress. In contrast, subjective SES relative to people in the United States and people in the community showed strong associations with health outcomes above and beyond conventional SES markers. This study suggested a promising avenue to incorporate subjective SES in health disparities research, especially among immigrants.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Subjective SES evidenced a unique cumulative association with physical health in adults, above and beyond traditional objective indicators of SES (Z = .07, SE = .01, p < .05), which was stronger for self-rated health than for biologically based and symptom-specific measures of health.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE Both social stratification (e.g., social rank) as well as economic resources (e.g., income) are thought to contribute to socioeconomic health disparities. It has been proposed that subjective socioeconomic status (an individual's perception of his or her hierarchical rank) provides increased predictive utility for physical health over and above more traditional, well-researched socioeconomic constructs such as education, occupation, and income. METHOD PsycINFO and PubMed databases were systematically searched for studies examining the association of subjective socioeconomic status (SES) and physical health adjusting for at least 1 measure of objective SES. The final sample included 31 studies and 99 unique effects. Meta-analyses were performed to: (a) estimate the overlap among subjective and objective indicators of SES and (b) estimate the cumulative association of subjective SES with physical health adjusting for objective SES. Potential moderators such as race and type of health indicator assessed (global self-reports vs. more specific and biologically based indicators) were also examined. RESULTS Across samples, subjective SES shows moderate overlap with objective indicators of SES, but associations are much stronger in Whites than Blacks. Subjective SES evidenced a unique cumulative association with physical health in adults, above and beyond traditional objective indicators of SES (Z = .07, SE = .01, p < .05). This association was stronger for self-rated health than for biologically based and symptom-specific measures of health. Almost all available data were cross-sectional and do not allow for strong causal inference. CONCLUSIONS Subjective SES may provide unique information relevant to understanding disparities in health, especially self-rated health. (PsycINFO Database Record

140 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that empirical inconsistencies and methodological issues limit the negative acculturation theory as the primary interpretation for duration patterns, and proposes alternative frameworks between duration and health that consider environmental influences and end with future research directions to explore research gaps.
Abstract: Researchers have become increasingly interested in the health patterns of immigrants with longer residence in the United States, as this reveals the health consequences of integration processes. The negative acculturation effect has been the dominant interpretation of duration patterns, despite empirical and theoretical uncertainties about this assumption. This theory assumes that immigrant health declines with longer residence in the United States because of poorer health behaviors and health risks that reflect Americanized lifestyles. This paper reviews the empirical support for the negative acculturation theory among Asian immigrants to determine if and when it is an appropriate interpretation for duration patterns. I conclude that empirical inconsistencies and methodological issues limit the negative acculturation theory as the primary interpretation for duration patterns. First, there is no consistent evidence that health behaviors decline with time. There is also substantial group heterogeneity in duration patterns as well as heterogeneity across health outcomes. The literature has not adequately addressed methodological shortcomings, such as confounding by cohort effects or non-linear duration patterns. Length of residence in the United States is still an important aspect of Asian immigrant health, but the mechanisms of this relationship are still understudied. I propose alternative frameworks between duration and health that consider environmental influences and end with future research directions to explore research gaps.

74 citations


Cites background or methods from "Beyond conventional socioeconomic s..."

  • ...For example, physical discomfort was not associated with duration [34]....

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  • ...Gong, Xu, Takeuchi (2011) [34] NLAAS 2095 Fair/Poor Self-Rated Health: Positive...

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  • ...Singh & Miller (2004) [34] 1992–1995 NHIS -Disability days: Positive Activity limitations: Positive...

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  • ...Four out of the eight studies found worsening self-reported health with longer duration [3,34,36,37]....

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  • ...For many studies, it seemed that duration effect had a threshold effect rather than a linear progression [3,34,36]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings suggest that Chinese rural-to-urban migrants gained in subjective well-being not only because of direct financial achievement but also because of their perceptions and beliefs about their relative social status.
Abstract: Although previous investigations have agreed that Chinese rural-to-urban migrants’ socioeconomic status (SES) increases with their migration, the association between SES and subjective well-being is uncertain. To address this research gap, the present study proposed that the association between objective SES and subjective well-being is mediated by subjective SES. This model was tested with a sample of 432 Chinese rural-to-urban migrants. The results indicate a significant association between objective SES and subjective well-being and a partial mediating effect of subjective SES. Furthermore, subjective social mobility, which is one's expectation about the possibility to move upward in the social hierarchy, was found to moderate both the direct path from objective SES to subjective well-being and the indirect path from subjective SES to subjective well-being. These findings suggest that Chinese rural-to-urban migrants gained in subjective well-being not only because of direct financial achievement but also because of their perceptions and beliefs about their relative social status.

71 citations


Cites background or methods or result from "Beyond conventional socioeconomic s..."

  • ...Our findings provide evidence for the first time that subjective SES may be an important predictor of subjective well-being among Chinese rural-to-urban migrants, as well as subjective and physiological health (Demakakos et al., 2008; Gong et al., 2012; Quon and McGrath, 2014)....

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  • ..., 2013b), health-related factors (Adler et al., 2000; Demakakos et al., 2008; Gong et al., 2012; Lei and Tam, 2012; Kraus et al., 2013a; Quon and McGrath, 2014), cognition, empathy, and behavior (Kraus et al....

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  • ...…and pessimism (Demakakos et al., 2008; Lei and Tam, 2012; Kraus et al., 2013b), health-related factors (Adler et al., 2000; Demakakos et al., 2008; Gong et al., 2012; Lei and Tam, 2012; Kraus et al., 2013a; Quon and McGrath, 2014), cognition, empathy, and behavior (Kraus et al., 2010, Kraus et…...

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  • ...Additionally, research exploring the impact of SES on health revealed that subjective SES mediates fully or partially the associations between objective SES and depression (Demakakos et al., 2008; Gong et al., 2012)....

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  • ...For example, subjective SES may differ within jobs belonging to the same occupation but with dissimilar types of work, such as famous professors versus ordinary instructors (Gong et al., 2012)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The more people internalize low subjective social status, the more their basic psychological needs are thwarted, and this effect did not appear among their higher status counterparts.
Abstract: What makes low social status toxic to well-being? To internalize social status is to believe the self is responsible for it. We hypothesized that the more people internalize low subjective social status, the more their basic psychological needs are thwarted. Experiment 1 randomly assigned participants to imagine themselves in low, middle, or high social status, and assessed their subjective social status internalization by independent ratings. The more participants internalized low status, the more they reported their basic psychological needs were thwarted. This effect did not appear among their higher status counterparts. Experiment 2 replicated and extended these findings using a behavioral manipulation of subjective social status and a self-report measure of internalization. We discuss implications for basic and action research.

61 citations


Cites background from "Beyond conventional socioeconomic s..."

  • ...In fact, Gong, Xu, and Takeuchi (2012) found, in examining Asian-Americans’ SES and self-rated health, evidence for a link between subjective—but not objective—social status and health....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors investigates how rural-to-urban migration influences migrants' perception of relative deprivation, and how relative deprivation mediates the effects of migration on psychological well-being in the US.
Abstract: This article investigates how rural-to-urban migration influences migrants’ perception of relative deprivation, and how relative deprivation mediates the effects of migration on psychological well-...

49 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work examines the growing number of studies of survey respondents' global self-ratings of health as predictors of mortality in longitudinal studies of representative community samples and suggests several approaches to the next stage of research in this field.
Abstract: We examine the growing number of studies of survey respondents' global self-ratings of health as predictors of mortality in longitudinal studies of representative community samples. Twenty-seven studies in U.S. and international journals show impressively consistent findings. Global self-rated health is an independent predictor of mortality in nearly all of the studies, despite the inclusion of numerous specific health status indicators and other relevant covariates known to predict mortality. We summarize and review these studies, consider various interpretations which could account for the association, and suggest several approaches to the next stage of research in this field.

7,940 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results suggest that, in this sample with a moderately restricted range on SES and health, psychological perceptions of social status may be contributing to the SES-health gradient.
Abstract: This preliminary study compared the associations between objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) with psychological and physical variables among 157 healthy White women, 59 of whom subsequently participated in a laboratory stress study. Compared with objective indicators, subjective social status was more consistently and strongly related to psychological functioning and health-related factors (self-rated health, heart rate, sleep latency, body fat distribution, and cortisol habituation to repeated stress). Most associations remained significant even after controlling for objective social status and negative affectivity. Results suggest that, in this sample with a moderately restricted range on SES and health, psychological perceptions of social status may be contributing to the SES-health gradient.

2,926 citations


"Beyond conventional socioeconomic s..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...An emerging body of research finds that perceptions of social standing, or subjective SES, are also associated with health (Adler et al., 2000; Gianaros et al., 2007; Goodman et al., 2003; Leu et al., 2008; Operario et al., 2004; SinghManoux et al., 2003, 2005)....

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  • ...Subjective SES was assessed by the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (Adler et al., 2000)....

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  • ...For example, Adler et al. (2000) and Gianaros et al. (2007) suggested that low subjective SES can activate specific physiological and psychological stress response systems (e.g., a hyperactivity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal [HPA] axis), which in turn affect health....

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  • ...…health and more objective health measures such as obesity, depression, psychiatric disorders, chronic diseases, and risky health behaviors (e.g., Adler et al., 2000; de Castro et al., 2010; Gianaros et al., 2007; Goodman et al., 2003; Goodman et al., 2007; Leu et al., 2008; Operario et al.,…...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There is evidence of a graded association with health at all levels of SES, an observation that requires new thought about domains through which SES may exert its health effects.
Abstract: Socioeconomic status (SES) is consistently associated with health outcomes, yet little is known about the psychosocial and behavioral mechanisms that might explain this association. Researchers usually control for SES rather than examine it. When it is studied, only effects of lower, poverty-level SES are generally examined. However, there is evidence of a graded association with health at all levels of SES, an observation that requires new thought about domains through which SES may exert its health effects. Variables are highlighted that show a graded relationship with both SES and health to provide examples of possible pathways between SES and health end points. Examples are also given of new analytic approaches that can better illuminate the complexities of the SES-health gradient.

2,874 citations


"Beyond conventional socioeconomic s..." refers background in this paper

  • ...…Socioeconomic status and health Asian immigrants One of the most established findings in the social study of health and illness is that socioeconomic status (SES) is a compelling determinant of morbidity, mortality, and selfrated health (reviewed by Adler et al., 1994; Adler & Rehkopf, 2008)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A model describing the health assessment process is proposed to show how self-rated health can reflect the states of the human body and mind and the focus is on the social and biological pathways that mediate information from the human organism to individual consciousness.

1,938 citations

01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: The 2010 Census Redistricting data (Public Law 94-171) summary file as discussed by the authors provides data on Hispanic origin and race, including information on the population reporting more than one race as well as detailed race combinations (e.g., White and Asian; White and Black or African American and American Indian and Alaska Native).
Abstract: 1 The 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File provides data on Hispanic origin and race, including information on the population reporting more than one race as well as detailed race combinations (e.g., White and Asian; White and Black or African American and American Indian and Alaska Native). In this report, the multiple-race combination categories are denoted with the conjunction and in bold and italicized print to indicate the specific race groups that comprise the particular combination. This report discusses data for the 50 states and the District of Columbia but not Puerto Rico. The 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File does not contain data for detailed Hispanic origin groups (e.g., Mexican or Puerto Rican) or detailed information about race or tribes (e.g., Chinese, Samoan, or Choctaw). Therefore, these specific groups are not discussed in this report. Data on detailed Hispanic origin groups and detailed information about race and tribes will be released on a state-by-state basis as part of the 2010 Census Demographic Profile and the 2010 Census Summary File 1. Additional reports on the Hispanic or Latino population and selected race population groups will be released as part of the 2010 Census Briefs series. For a detailed schedule of 2010 Census products and release dates, visit . UNDERSTANDING RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN DATA FROM THE 2010 CENSUS

1,776 citations


"Beyond conventional socioeconomic s..." refers methods in this paper

  • ...Most recent data from the 2010 Census indicated that the Asian population had grown faster than any other racial/ethnic groups between 2000 and 2010 with an inrease of 4.4 million population (or 43.3%), largely attributable to immigration (Humes et al., 2011)....

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