Item – Theses Canada

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OCLC number
54206089
Link(s) to full text
LAC copy
LAC copy
Author
Cairney, John,1968-
Title
Age, socioeconomic status and the stress process.
Degree
Ph. D. -- University of Western Ontario, 2002
Publisher
Ottawa : National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, [2003]
Description
3 microfiches.
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Abstract
Although a substantial body of research has examined the relationship between socioeconomic status and morbidity and mortality, less work has examined whether or not the relationship varies with age. A small body of work has demonstrated the importance of examining socioeconomic status differences in physical health across the life span. It remains unclear, however, whether the same is true for psychological well-being. This dissertation consists of four papers that examine the influence of age on the relationship between socioeconomic status and some of the major components of the stress process model. The first paper examines whether age moderates the relationship between socioeconomic status and psychological distress. A similar question is addressed in the second paper but considers mastery as the dependent variable. The third paper assesses whether age influences the relationship between socioeconomic status and three separate measures of stress (life events, chronic strains, and childhood adversities). The fourth paper responds to researchers who call for more attention to the influence of age on the entire stress process. Interactions between age and each of the major components of the stress process model are tested to assess whether or not age moderates the relationship between each of these components and psychological distress. It appears that age is indeed an important moderator of each of the relationships between socioeconomic status and both mastery and social stress. The socioeconomic gap in both mastery and social stress declines across age groups. Conversely, the socioeconomic gap in psychological distress remains constant with age. Age, however, does not moderate the relationship between each of the major domains of the stress process model and psychological distress. This dissertation has made an important contribution to the field by attending to two central stratification processes--age and socioeconomic status. The findings of this dissertation support the theoretical argument that position in the social structure is best conceptualized in terms of interlocking hierarchies of stratification rather than separate measures of social status. Although age and socioeconomic status are not the only systems of stratification, it is clear that they have important influences on mastery and stress. However, I find no evidence that interlocking systems of stratification better predict psychological distress. In terms of age and socioeconomic status, income and education gaps in distress remain constant across the life course.
ISBN
0612680762
9780612680760