Our first objective examines impacts of early life conditions and childhood health across a set of European countries and the US on salient later life adult outcomes including adult health and socioeconomic status (SES). Differences in early life conditions are potentially an important source of international differences in adult health. Second, we will study dual pathways between SES and health with an emphasis on England and America. Pathways from SES to health are explored by examining whether future onsets of new chronic conditions using self-reports and biomarkers of disease are related to key SES markers- income, wealth, and education. We will examine whether innovations in economic status affect health-especially during the recent financial crisis. Health feedbacks to labor supply, income, and wealth may be quantitatively important. Health outcomes include physical and mental health, including depression, psycho-social health, overall well-being, and life satisfaction. Our third specific aim examines the relationship between alternative measures of SES and subsequent all cause and cause-specific incident mortality in England and the US. Access to financial resources may be essential in dealing with consequences of health problems after they occur. The final specific aim will examine whether differential cancer screening rates can account for significant parts of country differences in cancer rates, especially those to the disfavor of the United States. Screening is known to vary across types of cancer and is believed to be more aggressive for breast, colon, and prostate cancer in the US than the UK and low for respiratory cancer.

Public Health Relevance

The research is important since it deals with the level of well being of older people in the United States compared to the rest of the Industrialized Western World. By using comparative analysis of the United States, England, and other countries, we can assess how and why over-all well being is related to health and socioeconomic status at older ages in these countries.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG040165-05
Application #
8907872
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1)
Program Officer
Patmios, Georgeanne E
Project Start
2011-09-01
Project End
2017-05-31
Budget Start
2015-06-15
Budget End
2017-05-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Rand Corporation
Department
Type
DUNS #
006914071
City
Santa Monica
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90401
Lei, Xiaoyan; Shen, Yan; Smith, James P et al. (2018) Life Satisfaction in China and Consumption and Income Inequalities. Rev Econ Househ 16:75-95
Aguila, Emma; Kapteyn, Arie; Smith, James P (2015) Effects of income supplementation on health of the poor elderly: the case of Mexico. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:70-5
Kesternich, Iris; Siflinger, Bettina; Smith, James P et al. (2014) The Effects of World War II on Economic and Health Outcomes across Europe. Rev Econ Stat 96:103-118
Lei, Xiaoyan; Smith, James P; Sun, Xiaoting et al. (2014) Gender Differences in Cognition in China and Reasons for Change over Time: Evidence from CHARLS. J Econ Ageing 4:46-55
Zhao, Yaohui; Hu, Yisong; Smith, James P et al. (2014) Cohort profile: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Int J Epidemiol 43:61-8
Delaney, Liam; Kapteyn, Arie; Smith, James P (2013) Why Do Some Irish Drink So Much? Family, Historical and Regional Effects on Students' Alcohol Consumption and Subjective Normative Thresholds. Rev Econ Househ 11:1-27
Smith, James P; Tian, Meng; Zhao, Yaohui (2013) Community Effects on Elderly Health: Evidence from CHARLS National Baseline. J Econ Ageing 1-2:
Delaney, Liam; Fernihough, Alan; Smith, James P (2013) Exporting poor health: the Irish in England. Demography 50:2013-35
Lee, Jinkook; Smith, James P (2012) The effect of health promotion on diagnosis and management of diabetes. J Epidemiol Community Health 66:366-71
Banks, James; Smith, James P (2012) International Comparisons in Health Economics: Evidence from Aging Studies. Annu Rev Econom 4:57-81

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