This research will investigate linkages between life course social inequalities, psychosocial factors, and adult physical health. Specifically, differences in several dimensions of socioeconomic status (SES) and race-ethnicity will be examined as potential social determinants of differences in psychological factors (e.g., affect, personality style, sense of control, self-evaluation, perceived discrimination, religiosity/spirituality) and social relationship factors (e.g., marital history and quality; intergenerational relationships and quality; other kin and nonkin relationships and quality). These psychological and social relationship factors, in turn, will be examined in terms of their influence on health status (health perceptions, functional status, symptom and illness reports, mortality). The hypothesis that differences in psychological factors and social relationship factors help mediate and moderate the influence of SES and race-ethnicity on health will be explored. Further, two hypotheses about the pathways linking psychological and social factors to physical health will be evaluated: 1) the """"""""health behavior mediation"""""""" hypothesis, which posits that differences in psychological and social relationship factors lead to differences in health behaviors, which, in turn lead to differences in physical health, and 2) the """"""""psychosocial stress moderation"""""""" hypothesis, which posits that differences in psychological and social factors lead to differences in the way individuals adapt to life histories of cumulative disadvantage, which, in turn, lead to differences in physical health. All analyses also will explore differences across gender. This work will use expansive new data from three large longitudinal population sample surveys: 1) the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), a study of 10,317 Wisconsin high school graduates in 1957, which includes information from main respondents in 1957 (age 18), 1964 (age 25), 1975 (age 36), 1992-93 (age 54), and 2003- 04 (age 65); information from siblings in 1977,1992-93, 2004; and information from graduate spouses and widows in 2004; 2) the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) 1987-88,1992-93, 2002-03, a study of 13,007 U.S. adults aged 19-95 in 1987-88; and 3) the National Survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), 1995, 2004, which includes information from 3,485 primary respondents aged 25-74 in 1995 and 1,000 siblings of primary respondents. Multivariate regression models, event-history models, hierarchical linear models, and structural equation models will be estimated as appropriate.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG026983-03
Application #
7268768
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-HOP-R (50))
Program Officer
Nielsen, Lisbeth
Project Start
2005-09-30
Project End
2009-08-31
Budget Start
2007-09-01
Budget End
2008-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$129,397
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Wisconsin Madison
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
161202122
City
Madison
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53715
Choi, Heejeong; Marks, Nadine F (2011) Socioeconomic status, marital status continuity and change, marital conflict, and mortality. J Aging Health 23:714-42
Greenfield, Emily A; Marks, Nadine F (2010) Identifying experiences of physical and psychological violence in childhood that jeopardize mental health in adulthood. Child Abuse Negl 34:161-71
Greenfield, Emily A; Marks, Nadine F (2010) Sense of Community as a Protective Factor against Long-Term Psychological Effects of Childhood Violence. Soc Serv Rev 84:129-147
Greenfield, Emily A; Marks, Nadine F (2009) Profiles of physical and psychological violence in childhood as a risk factor for poorer adult health: evidence from the 1995-2005 National Survey of Midlife in the United States. J Aging Health 21:943-66
Greenfield, Emily A; Vaillant, George E; Marks, Nadine F (2009) Do formal religious participation and spiritual perceptions have independent linkages with diverse dimensions of psychological well-being? J Health Soc Behav 50:196-212
Greenfield, Emily A; Marks, Nadine F (2009) Violence from parents in childhood and obesity in adulthood: using food in response to stress as a mediator of risk. Soc Sci Med 68:791-8
Choi, Heejeong; Marks, Nadine F (2008) Marital Conflict, Depressive Symptoms, and Functional Impairment. J Marriage Fam 70:377-390
Marks, Nadine F; Lambert, James David; Jun, Heyjung et al. (2008) Psychosocial Moderators the Effects of Transitioning Into Filial Caregiving on Mental and Physical Health. Res Aging 30:358-389
Marks, Nadine F; Jun, Heyjung; Song, Jieun (2007) Death of Parents and Adult Psychological and Physical Well-Being: A Prospective U.S. National Study. J Fam Issues 28:1611-1638
Greenfield, Emily A; Marks, Nadine F (2007) Religious Social Identity as an Explanatory Factor for Associations between More Frequent Formal Religious Participation and Psychological Well-Being. Int J Psychol Relig 17:245-259

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