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Adolescent socio-economic and school-based social status, health and well-being

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  • Sweeting, Helen
  • Hunt, Kate

Abstract

Studies of adults and adolescents suggest subjective socio-economic status (SES) is associated with health/well-being even after adjustment for objective SES. In adolescence, objective SES may have weaker relationships with health/well-being than at other life stages; school-based social status may be of greater relevance. We investigated the associations which objective SES (residential deprivation and family affluence), subjective SES and three school-based subjective social status dimensions (“SSS-peer”, “SSS-scholastic” and “SSS-sports”) had with physical symptoms, psychological distress and anger among 2503 Scottish 13–15 year-olds. Associations between objective SES and health/well-being were weak and inconsistent. Lower subjective SES was associated with increased physical symptoms and psychological distress, lower SSS-peer with increased psychological distress but reduced anger, lower SSS-scholastic with increased physical symptoms, psychological distress and anger, and lower SSS-sports with increased physical symptoms and psychological distress. Associations did not differ by gender. Objective and subjective SES had weaker associations with health/well-being than did school-based SSS dimensions. These findings underline the importance of school-based SSS in adolescence, and the need for future studies to include a range of school-based SSS dimensions and several health/well-being measures. They also highlight the need for a focus on school-based social status among those working to promote adolescent health/well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Sweeting, Helen & Hunt, Kate, 2014. "Adolescent socio-economic and school-based social status, health and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 39-47.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:121:y:2014:i:c:p:39-47
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.09.037
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    2. Gabriella Nagy-Pénzes & Ferenc Vincze & Éva Bíró, 2020. "Contributing Factors in Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being—The Role of Socioeconomic Status, Social Support, and Health Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Concepción Moreno-Maldonado & Pilar Ramos & Carmen Moreno & Francisco Rivera, 2019. "Direct and Indirect Influences of Objective Socioeconomic Position on Adolescent Health: The Mediating Roles of Subjective Socioeconomic Status and Lifestyles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-21, May.
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    5. Tommy Haugan & Sally Muggleton & Arnhild Myhr, 2021. "Psychological distress in late adolescence: The role of inequalities in family affluence and municipal socioeconomic characteristics in Norway," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(7), pages 1-25, July.
    6. Ningning Liu & Qikang Zhong, 2023. "The impact of sports participation on individuals’ subjective well-being: the mediating role of class identity and health," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Yi-Jhen Wu & Jihyun Lee, 2022. "The most salient global predictors of adolescents’ subjective Well-Being: parental support, peer support, and anxiety," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(5), pages 1601-1629, October.
    8. Cifuentes, Myriam Patricia & Doogan, Nathan J. & Fernandez, Soledad A. & Seiber, Eric E., 2016. "Factors shaping Americans’ objective well-being: A systems science approach with network analysis," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 1018-1039.
    9. Jianmei Ye & Dawei Huang & Yuelin Li & Lei Liu & Mengwei Shi, 2022. "Subjective Social Status of High School Freshmen in the Transitional Period: the Impact of Extraversion," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(2), pages 971-983, April.

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