The subject of this paper is stress exposure as one of the mechanisms through
which the socioeconomic status may affect the health. First of all, the
nature of the relationship between the socioeconomic status and the health
quality, as well as possible mechanisms of relationship between them in
general are presented. Then, an overview of the relationship between
socioeconomic status and stress exposure is provided, as well as previous
research results in this field. Finally, mechanisms by which stress exposure
may affect health quality are presented. The largest number of studies
indicates a positive correlation between socioeconomic position and health
quality and a negative correlation between status and stress exposure, as
well as health quality and stress exposure. The results regarding the
relationship between socioeconomic status and stress exposure are in this
respect the least consistent, mostly due to differences in the
conceptualizations and operationalizations, poor representativeness of
samples, and other methodological issues, as well as the characteristics of
the examined populations themselves. Further, behaviors relevant to health
quality, such as diet or physical activity, are to a great extent related to
socioeconomic status and stress exposure. Whatever the mechanisms by which
the interaction between these variables is explained may be, the
socioeconomic status is probably the key for prevention and overcoming
stressful situations, and thus, for health in general.
The relationship between family socio-economic status, family social support and adolescent physical activity
