Biomaterial Database

The independent contributions of socioeconomic status and health practices to health status. 1985

C H Slater, and R J Lorimor, and D R Lairson

The objective of this study was to determine whether the much-repeated finding of a relationship between socioeconomic status and health status is explained by individuals' health practices. The investigation was carried out using data tapes from the 1977 Health Interview Survey in which a one-third subsample of adults was asked a series of questions related to the seven nonmedical health practices identified in the Alameda County Study. The group selected for analysis comprised 15,892 white, responding adults. With age controlled statistically, perceived health status was found to be associated with socioeconomic status, whether the indicator was educational level, family income, or occupation, and to number of positive health practices. When number of health practices, in addition to age and other socioeconomic indicators was controlled for, the association was still positive and significant. The finding of an independent contribution by socioeconomic status to health status emphasizes that individual health habits are not the only influence on health status.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007182	Income	Revenues or receipts accruing from business enterprise, labor, or invested capital.	Income Distribution,Income Generation Programs,Savings,Distribution, Income,Distributions, Income,Income Distributions,Income Generation Program,Incomes,Program, Income Generation,Programs, Income Generation
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009790	Occupations	Crafts, trades, professions, or other means of earning a living.	Vocations,Occupation,Vocation
D004522	Educational Status	Educational attainment or level of education of an individual.	Education Level,Educational Achievement,Educational Attainment,Educational Level,Level of Education,Maternal Education Level,Maternal Educational Attainment,Maternal Educational Level,Paternal Education Level,Paternal Educational Attainment,Paternal Educational Level,Achievement, Educational,Educational Status, Maternal,Educational Status, Paternal,Maternal Educational Status,Paternal Educational Status,Status, Educational,Attainment, Educational,Attainment, Maternal Educational,Attainment, Paternal Educational,Education Level, Maternal,Education Level, Paternal,Education Levels,Educational Achievements,Educational Attainment, Maternal,Educational Attainment, Paternal,Educational Attainments,Educational Level, Maternal,Educational Level, Paternal,Educational Levels,Level, Education,Level, Educational,Level, Maternal Education,Level, Maternal Educational,Level, Paternal Education,Level, Paternal Educational,Levels, Maternal Educational,Maternal Education Levels,Maternal Educational Attainments,Maternal Educational Levels,Paternal Education Levels,Paternal Educational Attainments,Paternal Educational Levels,Status, Maternal Educational,Status, Paternal Educational
D005260	Female		Females
D006184	Habits	Acquired or learned responses which are regularly manifested.	Habit Disturbances,Habit,Habit Disturbance
D006262	Health	The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease.	Individual Health,Normalcy,Normality,Health, Individual,Normalcies,Normalities
D006304	Health Status	The level of health of the individual, group, or population as subjectively assessed by the individual or by more objective measures.	General Health,General Health Level,General Health Status,Level of Health,Overall Health,Overall Health Status,General Health Levels,Health Level,Health Level, General,Health Levels,Health Status, General,Health Status, Overall,Health, General,Health, Overall,Level, General Health,Levels, General Health,Status, General Health,Status, Health,Status, Overall Health
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man