Lower socioeconomic status and the acceleration of aging: An outcome-wide analysis

Andrew Steptoe () and Steptoe Zaninotto
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Andrew Steptoe: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
Steptoe Zaninotto: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020, vol. 117, issue 26, 14911-14917

Abstract: Aging involves decline in a range of functional abilities and phenotypes, many of which are also associated with socioeconomic status (SES). Here we assessed whether lower SES is a determinant of the rate of decline over 8 y in six domains—physical capability, sensory function, physiological function, cognitive performance, emotional well-being, and social function—in a sample of 5,018 men and women aged 64.44 (SD 8.49) y on average at baseline. Wealth was used as the marker of SES, and all analyses controlled for age, gender, ethnicity, educational attainment, and long-term health conditions. Lower SES was associated with greater adverse changes in physical capability (grip strength, gait speed, and physical activity), sensory function (sight impairment), physiological function (plasma fibrinogen concentration and lung function), cognitive performance (memory, executive function, and processing speed), emotional well-being (enjoyment of life and depressive symptoms), and social function (organizational membership, number of close friends, volunteering, and cultural engagement). Effects were maintained when controlling statistically for other factors such as smoking, marital/partnership status, and self-rated health and were also present when analyses were limited to participants aged ≤75 y. We conclude that lower SES is related to accelerated aging across a broad range of functional abilities and phenotypes independently of the presence of health conditions and that social circumstances impinge on multiple aspects of aging.

Keywords: social disparities; aging; cognition; physical capability; social function (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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