Socioeconomic status, social class, subjective social status, and subjective well-being: Examples of women’s appraisals of their health and work.

Author(s):  
Karen Fraser Wyche ◽  
Shari E. Miles-Cohen
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsheng Chen ◽  
Zhenjun Zhu

Abstract BackgroundChina is becoming an aging society. The emotional health of the elderly is gaining importance. Social trust is an important factor affecting emotional health, but existing studies have rarely considered the various effects of different types of social trust on rural elderly emotional health. Few studies have analysed the role of subjective well-being and subjective social status in the relationship between social trust and elderly emotional health.MethodsUsing the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 (CLDS 2016) and regression models, this study selected 2084 rural respondents aged 60 years and above to analyse the impact of social trust on their emotional health. Social trust was divided into three categories: trust in family members, trust in friends, and trust in neighbours. This study also examined the mediating and moderating effects of subjective well-being and subjective social status on the relationship between social trust and emotional health.ResultsTrust in family members was significantly and positively associated with emotional health (coefficient=0.194, P<0.01) and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.177, P<0.01). Trust in friends was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.097, P<0.01; coefficient=0.174, P<0.01, respectively). Trust in neighbours was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient=0.088, P<0.01; coefficient=0.177, P<0.01; respectively). Subjective well-being effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.023, 0.022, and 0.023, respectively. Trust in friends and neighbours significantly and positively affected respondents’ subjective social status (coefficient=0.120, P<0.05; coefficient=0.090, P<0.10; respectively). Subjective social status effectively reduced the impact of social trust in friends and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly both by 0.004. The positive relationship between trust in family members and emotional health is weakened by subjective well-being.ConclusionsSocial trust, especially family relationships, play an important role in maintaining the emotional health of the rural elderly. In response to population ageing, more social policies must be introduced to care for the rural elderly and help them lead a happy and satisfactory life.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsheng Chen ◽  
Zhenjun Zhu

Abstract Background China is becoming an aging society. The emotional health of the elderly is gaining importance. Social trust is an important factor affecting emotional health, but existing studies have rarely considered the various effects of different types of social trust on elderly emotional health. Few studies have analysed the role of subjective well-being and subjective social status in the relationship between social trust and elderly emotional health. Methods Using the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 (CLDS 2016) and regression models, this study selected 3767 respondents aged 60 years and above to analyse the impact of social trust on their emotional health. Social trust was divided into three categories: trust in family members, trust in friends, and trust in neighbours. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess emotional health, and the respondents’ self-assessment scores were adjusted. Results Trust in family members was significantly and positively associated with emotional health (coefficient = 2.854, P < 0.01) and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.189, P < 0.01). Trust in friends was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 1.703, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.171, P < 0.01, respectively). Trust in neighbours was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 1.461, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.186, P < 0.01; respectively). Subjective well-being effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.378, 0.341, and 0.370, respectively. Trust in family members, friends, and neighbours, significantly and positively affected respondents’ subjective social status (coefficient = 0.115, P < 0.05; coefficient = 0.095, P < 0.05; coefficient = 0.121, P < 0.01, respectively). Subjective social status effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.092, 0.076, and 0.096, respectively. The positive relationship between trust in family members and emotional health was weakened by subjective well-being, and that between trust in neighbours and emotional health was weakened by subjective social status. Conclusions Family relationships play an important role in maintaining the emotional health of the elderly. In response to population ageing, more social policies must be introduced to care for the elderly and help them lead a happy and satisfactory life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsheng Chen ◽  
Zhenjun Zhu

Abstract Background China is becoming an aging society. The emotional health of the elderly is gaining importance. Social trust is an important factor affecting emotional health, but existing studies have rarely considered the various effects of different types of social trust on rural elderly emotional health. Few studies have analysed the role of subjective well-being and subjective social status in the relationship between social trust and elderly emotional health. Methods Using the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 (CLDS 2016) and regression models, this study selected 2084 rural respondents aged 60 years and above to analyse the impact of social trust on their emotional health. Social trust was divided into three categories: trust in family members, trust in friends, and trust in neighbours. This study also examined the mediating and moderating effects of subjective well-being and subjective social status on the relationship between social trust and emotional health. Results Trust in family members was significantly and positively associated with emotional health (coefficient = 0.194, P < 0.01) and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.177, P < 0.01). Trust in friends was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.097, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.174, P < 0.01, respectively). Trust in neighbours was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.088, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.177, P < 0.01; respectively). Subjective well-being effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.023, 0.022, and 0.023, respectively. Trust in friends and neighbours significantly and positively affected respondents’ subjective social status (coefficient = 0.120, P < 0.05; coefficient = 0.090, P < 0.10; respectively). Subjective social status effectively reduced the impact of social trust in friends and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly both by 0.004. The positive relationship between trust in family members and emotional health is weakened by subjective well-being. Conclusions Social trust, especially family relationships, play an important role in maintaining the emotional health of the rural elderly. In response to population ageing, more social policies must be introduced to care for the rural elderly and help them lead a happy and satisfactory life.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Mehravar ◽  
Abbas Rahimi Foroushani ◽  
Mohammad Ali Vakili ◽  
Saharnaz Nedjat

Abstract Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) has often been considered a major predictor of mental health-related outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and stress. However, little is known about the mediating role of subjective social status (SSS) — an individual perception of relative position in the social hierarchy—in the relationship between SES and health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the mediating role of SSS in the relationship between SES and mental health among the employees of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).Methods:The data from the enrolment phase of a cohort study on TUMS employees (n = 4461) were used in this cross-sectional study. Household SES was the main independent variable. SES was first entered into the mediation model as a composite index (a combination of wealth index, social class, and education), and then each indicator was entered separately. Stress, anxiety, and depression scores were measured using the DASS-42 Scale as a latent outcome variable for mental health status. SSS was evaluated as a potential mediator variable using the MacArthur scale which was converted to a five-point Likert item. The mediation analysis was carried out using a two-step structural equation modeling (SEM) approach in STATA version 14.0 with maximum likelihood (ML) estimation. Finally, the direct and indirect effects of SES indices on mental health were investigated, considering SSS's mediating role.Results: The data showed that 2706 participants (60.65%) were female and the mean age of all participants was 42.21±8.72 years. The standardized path coefficient for the direct effect of SES on SSS was --0.50 (SE=0.013), whereas the standardized path coefficient for the direct effect of SSS on mental health was 0.10 (SE=0.018). The standardized indirected effect of the composite SES-index on mental health through the SSS is -0.05 (lower SSS and mental health scores and higher SES scores indicate improvements in the status of these variables). Contribution of SSS in association between composite SES-index and the mental health of TUMS employees is 27.78% (27.27% in male and 22.23% in female). In addition, contribution of SSS for the association between the indices of wealth, education, social class and mental health is 41.67%, 36.36%, and 28.57%, respectively.Conclusions:The Findings of this study showed that a poorer SSS may influence the pathology of mental health disorders. It seems to be as a mediator in the association between SES and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Individuals' mental health may thus be improved by intervening in their subjective social status in relation to SES, which is relatively more stable.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsheng Chen ◽  
Zhenjun Zhu

Abstract Background China is becoming an aging society. The emotional health of the elderly is gaining importance. Social trust is an important factor affecting emotional health, but existing studies have rarely considered the various effects of different types of social trust on elderly emotional health. Few studies have analysed the role of subjective well-being and subjective social status in the relationship between social trust and elderly emotional health.Methods Using the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 (CLDS 2016) and regression models, this study selected 3767 respondents aged 60 years and above to analyse the impact of social trust on their emotional health. Social trust was divided into three categories: trust in family members, trust in friends, and trust in neighbours. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess emotional health, and the respondents’ self-assessment scores were adjusted.Results Trust in family members was significantly and positively associated with emotional health (coefficient = 2.854, P < 0.01) and subjective well-being (coefficient = 0.189, P < 0.01). Trust in friends was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 1.703, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.171, P < 0.01, respectively). Trust in neighbours was significantly and positively associated with emotional health and subjective well-being (coefficient = 1.461, P < 0.01; coefficient = 0.186, P < 0.01; respectively). Subjective well-being effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.378, 0.341, and 0.370, respectively. Trust in family members, friends, and neighbours, significantly and positively affected respondents’ subjective social status (coefficient = 0.115, P < 0.05; coefficient = 0.095, P < 0.05; coefficient = 0.121, P < 0.01, respectively). Subjective social status effectively reduced the impact of social trust in family, friends, and neighbours on the emotional health of the elderly by 0.092, 0.076, and 0.096, respectively. The positive relationship between trust in family members and emotional health was weakened by subjective well-being, and that between trust in neighbours and emotional health was weakened by subjective social status.Conclusions Family relationships play an important role in maintaining the emotional health of the elderly. In response to population ageing, more social policies must be introduced to care for the elderly and help them lead a happy and satisfactory life.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacinth Jia Xin Tan ◽  
Michael W. Kraus ◽  
Emily Impett ◽  
Dacher Keltner

Close relationships can be a source of positive subjective well-being for lower-class individuals, but stresses of lower-class environments tend to negatively impact those relationships. The present research demonstrates that a partner’s commitment in close relationships buffers against the negative impact of lower-class environments on relationships, mitigating social class differences in subjective well-being. In two samples of close relationship dyads, we found that when partners reported low commitment to the relationship, relatively lower-class individuals experienced poorer well-being than their upper-class counterparts, assessed as life satisfaction among romantic couples (Study 1) and negative affect linked to depression among ethnically diverse close friendships (Study 2). Conversely, when partners reported high commitment to the relationship, deficits in the well-being of lower-class relative to upper-class individuals were attenuated. Implications of these findings for upending the class divide in subjective well-being are discussed.


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