Developmental Trajectories of Subjective Social Status

Longitudinal Trajectories of Social Mobility Beliefs among Chinese Adolescents: The Protective Roles of Parental Academic Involvement and Adolescent Future Orientation

Social mobility beliefs play a significant role in shaping adolescents' adaptive developmental outcomes, including well-being and academic functioning. Nevertheless, existing research may not cast light on the distinct trajectories and potential protective factors of social mobility beliefs. The present study aims to identify heterogeneity in trajectory patterns of social mobility beliefs among Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.45, SDage = 2.60; 55.1% boys; 40.0% rural adolescents) in a four-wave (i.e., fall 2017, fall 2018, spring 2019, and fall 2019) longitudinal design, and examines the protective roles of parental academic involvement and adolescent future orientation. Three distinct trajectories of social mobility beliefs were identified: high-increasing (35.1%; a positive trajectory with the best developmental outcomes, including the lowest problem behaviors and depression symptoms, and the highest life satisfaction and academic competence), moderate-stable (49.8%), and low-decreasing (15.1%; a negative trajectory with the worst developmental outcomes, including the highest problem behaviors and depression symptoms, and the lowest life satisfaction and academic competence). Apart from the main effects of parental academic involvement and future orientation, a significant interaction effect of these two protective factors and adolescent group was detected, and only rural adolescents who reported both high levels of parental academic involvement and future orientation have a greater chance of being placed in the high-increasing trajectory than the low-decreasing trajectory. These findings highlight the significance of clarifying individual differences in the dynamic process of social mobility beliefs during adolescence, and elucidate rural-urban disparities in the influences of protective factors on social mobility beliefs trajectories, and inform individualized intervention strategies.

The mediation model of social status on the link between parental attachment, aggressive behavior, and psychological well-being: Evidence from two studies in Vietnamese adolescents and young adults

Little is known about how insecure attachment affects aggressive behavior and well-being among Vietnamese youth. Using structural equation modeling, we investigate the mediating role of subjective social status (SSS) on the paths from insecure attachment to overt aggressive behavior (OAB) and psychological well-being (PW) in a sample of 1753 Vietnamese adolescents (Mage = 16.136, SD = 0.784) and test whether the results will be replicated in another sample of 601 Vietnamese young adults (Mage = 19.93, SD = 1.35). Participants complete a survey comprising demographic information, attachment styles, SSS, OAB, and PW questionnaires. Our main findings include: (a) anxious attachment positively related to OAB in both samples, (b) anxious attachment was only negatively associated with adolescents' PW, (c) avoidant attachment was positively correlated to OAB in adolescents but negatively correlated in young adults, and (d) avoidant attachment was negatively related to PW in both samples. In addition, (e) in adolescents, the mediation role of SSS was significant in all paths, but (f) SSS only mediated the link from avoidant attachment to PW of young adults. The present study suggests that aggressive behavior might not be associated with social status or attachment in the same way in adolescents compared to young adult Vietnamese samples.

Lower subjective social status is associated with increased adiposity and self-reported eating in the absence of hunger due to negative affect among children reporting teasing distress

OBJECTIVES

Low social standing and teasing are independently associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and overeating in children. However, children with low social status may be vulnerable to teasing.

METHODS

We tested the statistical interaction of subjective social status (SSS) and subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) and teasing distress on BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in children (Mage = 13.09 years, SD = 2.50 years; 27.8% overweight/obese). Multiple linear regressions identified the main effects of self-reported SSS (compared to peers in school), distress due to teasing, and their interaction on BMI (n = 115), FMI (n = 114), and child- (n = 100) and parent-reported (n = 97) EAH.

RESULTS

Teasing distress was associated with greater BMI, FMI, and child-reported EAH due to negative affect (a subscale of EAH) and total EAH scores. There were no associations of SSS with these outcomes. However, there was an interaction between SSS and teasing distress for BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect such that lower SSS was associated with higher BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect in the presence of teasing distress. However, there were no main effects or interactions (with teasing distress) of SSES on the outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the relationship between lower SSS and increased adiposity and overeating behaviors may be exacerbated by other threats to social standing, such as teasing. Children exposed to multiple social threats may be more susceptible to eating beyond physiological need and obesity than those who experience a single form of perceived social disadvantage.

The Role of SES in Preadolescence: Understandings and Group Evaluations based on Income, Education, and Occupation

Socioeconomic status (SES) predicts many facets of preadolescents' life opportunities, yet little is known about how children perceive SES and whether it plays a role in their group evaluations. This study examined preadolescents' socioeconomic understandings and biases (investigated presenting fictitious peers varying in SES), while separating the three SES-indicators income, education and occupation. Five classes (Grade 4-6) with 89 students (Mage = 10.44, SD = 0.93; 40% female) participated. Overall, preadolescents understood that the SES indicators income, education and occupation are related to each other. At the same time, they differentiated between the indicators in their group evaluations; they showed a positive bias for peers with high-educated parents, whereas for occupation and income there was no clear overall bias. This shows that differences between SES indicators are meaningful for children, which emphasizes the importance to distinguish between specific SES-indicators when studying the role of SES for preadolescents' social life.

Subjective social status across the past, present, and future: status trajectories of older adults

Beyond objective indicators of social status (e.g., income or education), the subjective social status (SSS; i.e., the self-assessed position in a social hierarchy) is associated with psychological well-being and physiological functioning. Existing research has focused on older adults' current status evaluations, neglecting perceived temporal stability or change in SSS which can further impact self-perception and emotional well-being. In the present study, we examined older adults' (N = 191; mean age = 73.5) SSS with regard to their past, present, and future. Examining SSS for multiple time-points allowed us to identify profiles representing trajectories of status from the past to the future by conducting latent profile analysis. Furthermore, we tested associations of the identified trajectory-profiles with aging anxiety and negative affect. Results showed that, on average, participants anticipated higher future status losses than they had experienced in the past, regardless of age. In the more nuanced profile analysis, we identified four trajectory-profiles: A high (17%), a moderate (57%), and a low perceived social status (14%) trajectory, as well as a profile representing a perceived decrease in status (12%). While a lower status was associated with more aging anxiety and negative affect, most aging anxiety and negative affect was found for profiles representing a low initial status-level and a perceived decrease in status. Findings implicate that social status comparisons with others but also status comparisons with past- and future-selves are relevant for older adults. The discussion highlights the benefits of improving or stabilizing subjective assessments of status in later adulthood.

Effects of Subjective Social Status and Self-Esteem in the Association Between Childhood Abuse and Adulthood Anxiety

Background

Subjective social status influences anxiety, but at present, the mechanism is not fully understood. It has been reported that negative childhood experiences, such as abuse, can influence depressive symptoms through subjective social status and personality traits, such as self-esteem. A similar mechanism is presumed to underlie anxiety symptoms in adulthood. Therefore, we hypothesized that subjective social status and self-esteem are intermediate factors in the indirect effects of childhood abuse on state anxiety in adulthood, and analyzed the indirect effects via these factors using a path analysis.

Subjects and Methods

Child Abuse and Trauma Scale, Subjective Social Status, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y questionnaires were administered in a self-report format to 404 adult volunteers from January 2014 to August 2014. In addition, a path analysis was conducted to determine whether subjective social status and self-esteem are associated with the indirect effects of childhood abuse on anxiety symptoms in adulthood.

Results

Childhood abuse did not directly affect state anxiety in adulthood, but affected state anxiety via subjective social status and self-esteem. Subjective social status affected state anxiety via self-esteem. This model explained 25.2% of the variation in state anxiety in adult volunteers.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that childhood abuse affects anxiety in adulthood through subjective social status and self-esteem. Therefore, interventions that enhance subjective social status and self-esteem for adults who experienced childhood abuse may help reduce their anxiety.

Is age discrimination a risk factor for frailty progression and frailty development among older adults? A prospective cohort analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

BACKGROUND

With the increasing global burden of frailty on healthcare resources, it is important to understand the modifiable risk factors of frailty. This study examined perceived age discrimination as a potential risk factor for frailty progression and frailty development among older adults.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study using data from Waves 5 to 9 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Data on perceived age discrimination was collected only in Wave 5 of ELSA and analysed as baseline data in this study. Frailty was defined using the Frailty Index (FI) scores (0 to 1), calculated using the multidimensional deficits (scores ≥ 0.25 were considered frail). Binomial generalised estimating equation models (GEE) were fitted in R studio using perceived age discrimination as the main predictor with age, gender, long-standing illness, cognition, subjective social status status (SSS) and psychological wellbeing as covariates. Odd ratios were reported with 95 % confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

A total sample of 2,385 ELSA participants were included in the analysis. 55.8 % (n = 1312) were female, mean age 71.9 (SD ± 5.27) years and baseline frailty prevalence was 12.1 % (n = 288). Perceived age discrimination was reported by 38.4 % (n = 916) of the participants. Both frailty progression (OR 1.50, CI [1.26- 1.70]) and frailty development (OR 1.39, CI [1.14-1.62]) were significantly associated with perceived age discrimination in the fully adjusted models. Age (80+ years) (OR 3.72, CI [2.84-4.86]) and long-standing illness (OR 5.45, CI [4.43-6.67]) had the strongest association with respondents' frailty progression.

CONCLUSION

Perceived age discrimination significantly increased the risk of frailty progression and frailty development among ELSA participants.

Peer support as moderator of association between socioeconomic status and low-grade inflammation in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

Individuals who grow up in low-socioeconomic status (SES) families are at an increased risk of health problems across the lifespan. Although supportive social relationships are postulated to be a protective factor for the health of these individuals, the role of friend support in adolescence is not well understood. Given that low-grade inflammation is one key biological mechanism proposed to explain links between family SES and health outcomes, we examined whether adolescents' friend support buffers the association between family SES and low-grade inflammation among adolescents.

METHOD

277 dyads of adolescents (63.5% female; 39.4% White, 38.3% Black, and 32.1% Hispanic; Mage = 13.92 years) and one of their parents participated in this longitudinal study (two waves approximately 2 years apart). Parents reported family objective SES (i.e., income, savings, and education) and family subjective SES (i.e., subjective social status). Adolescents reported perceived friend support. Fasting antecubital blood was drawn from adolescents at both visits. Low-grade inflammatory activity was represented by a composite of inflammatory biomarkers and numbers of classical monocytes.

RESULTS

Adolescents' friend support moderated the associations of family subjective SES with both the inflammation composite and classical monocyte counts across cross-sectional, longitudinal, and prospective change (only significant for the inflammation composite) analyses. Specifically, lower family subjective SES was associated with higher levels of low-grade inflammation only among adolescents lower, but not higher, in friend support. No moderation was observed for objective SES.

CONCLUSION

Supportive peer relationships buffer the link between family subjective, but not objective, SES and low-grade inflammation in adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How does subjective social status at school at the age of 15 affect the risk of depressive symptoms at the ages of 18, 21, and 28? A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Young people's mental health is declining. Depression is a public disease which is increasing internationally, and in Denmark an increase is seen especially among young people. Objective social status is known to be associated with mental health and depression, but little is known about the association between adolescent subjective social status at school and depressive symptoms during young adulthood. The aim was to investigate the association between 15-year-old's subjective social status at school and the development of depressive symptoms at age 18, 21 and 28.

METHODS

The study is a longitudinal study using questionnaire data from The West Jutland Cohort Study Denmark. The study population consisted of adolescents who at baseline, at age 15 (2004), had answered questions about their subjective social status in school using the MacArthur scale-youth version. Answers were categorised into low, medium, and high subjective social status. Outcome data about depressive symptoms was collected at age 18 (2007), age 21 (2010) and age 28 (2017) using the CES-DC and CES-D scales, dichotomised into few or many depressive symptoms. The associations between subjective social status at school at age 15 and depressive symptoms at ages 18, 21 and 28 were analysed using multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

Statistically significant associations were found between low subjective social status at school at age 15 and the odds of many depressive symptoms at all three age points in young adulthood. When adjusting for co-variates the odds ratio for many depressive symptoms at age 18 was OR 3.34 [1.84;6.08], at age 21 OR 3.31 [1.75;6.26] and at age 28 OR 2.12 [1.13;3.97].

CONCLUSIONS

The subjective social status of 15-year-olds is associated with depressive symptoms at ages 18, 21 and 28, respectively. It seems that subjective social status at age 15 is of greatest importance for the occurrence of depressive symptoms in the short run, and that the impact attenuates over time.

Subjective Social Status and Longitudinal Changes in Systemic Inflammation

BACKGROUND

Subjective social status (SSS) refers to a person's perception of their social rank relative to others and is cross-sectionally linked to systemic inflammation independently of objective socioeconomic status.

PURPOSE

We test the extent to which SSS relates to multiyear changes in inflammation, or if associations differ by race or sex.

METHODS

Healthy adults (N = 331; 30-51 years) completed a baseline visit and 278 participants returned for a second visit 2.85 years later. At both visits, participants underwent a fasting blood draw and completed community (SSSC) and US (SSSUS) versions of the MacArthur Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses examined change in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) predicted by each type of SSS, adjusting for time between visits, sex, race, age, body mass index, smoking, baseline inflammation, and objective socioeconomic status. Additional analyses further adjusted for hopelessness and depressive symptoms. Interactions examined moderations by sex and race.

RESULTS

Lower SSSC was longitudinally associated with greater IL-6 independently of all covariates, including education and income (β = -0.06), hopelessness (β = -0.06), and depressive symptoms (β = -0.06). Lower SSSUS was longitudinally associated with greater IL-6 independently of demographic covariates including education and income (β = -0.06), but was slightly attenuated after adjusting for hopelessness (β = -0.06) and depressive symptoms (β = -0.06). There were no associations for CRP or moderation by race or sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower SSS may be associated with greater circulating markers of inflammation over time as suggested by increases in IL-6.

Associations between subjective social status and psychological well-being among college students

Background: Higher subjective social status (SSS) is associated with better mental health among youth; however, few studies have examined youth's perceptions of past (childhood) or future (adulthood) SSS. Methods: Utilizing latent profile analysis, we examined unique profiles of past, present, and future SSS among 401 college students in the United States and tested associations between these profiles and psychological well-being (ie, depressive symptoms, negative affect, positive affect, and flourishing), controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES). Results: Results revealed four profiles: Low SSS (8%), Upward SSS (18%), Moderate SSS (43%), and High SSS (31%). Youth in the High SSS profile had the best psychological well-being, and those in the Low SSS profile had the worst. While the Upward SSS profile was associated with depressive symptoms and negative affect, it was protective in terms of positive affect. Discussion: Findings highlight unique effects of upward SSS mobility.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1954010.

Longitudinal Associations Between Peer Victimization and Positive and Negative Social Risk Taking in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Adolescence is characterized by heightened risk taking, along with salient peer relationships. This study leveraged data from 167 adolescents across five years (M(SD)_age = 15.05 (0.54) years at Time 1; 47% female) to examine how risk perception and peer victimization in adolescence interrelate and predict risk likelihood in young adulthood. Bivariate growth curve modeling revealed that higher initial levels of positive social risk perception predicted a slower decrease in relational victimization throughout adolescence. Higher initial levels of relational victimization in adolescence predicted higher negative social risk likelihood in young adulthood. Adolescents with heightened risk sensitivity to positive social risks may be vulnerable to relational victimization, and prevention efforts to reduce relational victimization may protect adolescents from future negative risk taking.

The dynamic relationship between subjective social status and health: Evidence from a Chinese cohort study

PURPOSE

Using nationally representative longitudinal data from 2010 to 2018 in China, this study systematically investigates the relationship between Subjective Social Status (SSS) and health (physical health and mental health) in the Chinese adult population.

METHODS

By applying between-within model, we disentangle the relationship between health outcomes and: (1) between-individual differences in SSS and (2) within-individual variations of SSS across time. In addition, to explore SSS mobility and trajectory, we further decomposed SSS into lagged SSS and the change between the current and lagged SSS (mobility).

RESULTS

We find that there is significantly positive and unique relationship (independent of Objective Social Status (OSS)) between SSS and physical and mental health. However, for physical health, we observed an Inverse-U effect of average SSS, after some point (SSS = 3.93), higher average SSS is associated with a score decrease. Through heterogeneity analysis, we find that for physical health, within- and between-effects decreases with age and for mental health, the within effect is only significant among the urban population. Individuals with high expected mobility are also found to have significantly better health.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that the personal relative deprivation has negative, particularly salient and unique effects on the health of the Chinese population, and it is important to consider the dynamic nature of SSS.

Socioeconomic inequality in overweight/obesity among US children: NHANES 2001 to 2018

BACKGROUND

Previous research has found that the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity varies depending on household income, ethnicity, and sex. The goal of our research is to examine changes over time in socioeconomic inequality and the prevalence of overweight/obesity among American children under five by sex and ethnicity.

METHODS

This cross-sectional analysis used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) collected from 2001-02 to 2017-18. Overweight/obesity in children under five [Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age z-score >2 standard deviations] was defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference standard. The slope inequality index (SII) and the concentration index (CIX) were used to measure the socioeconomic inequality in overweight/obesity.

RESULTS

Between 2001-02 and 2011-12, childhood overweight/obesity in the United States decreased from 7.3% to 6.3%, and had increased to 8.1% by 2017-18. However, this pattern varied widely by ethnicity and sex. For both the 2015-16 and 2017-18 surveys, overweight/obesity was more concentrated in the poorest household quintile for overall Caucasian children ((SII = -11.83, IC 95% = -23.17, -0.49 and CIX = -7.368, IC 95% = -13.92, -0.82) and (SII = -11.52, IC 95% = -22.13, -0.91 and CIX = -7.24, IC 95% = -13.27, -1.21), respectively) and for males of other ethnicities [(SII = -13.93, IC 95% = -26.95, -0.92) and CIX = -8.55, IC 95% = -0.86, -16.25] and (SII = -21.19, IC 95% = -40.65, -1.74) and CIX = -13.11, IC 95% = -1.42, -24.80), respectively). In the last three surveys, overweight/obesity was also more concentrated in the poorest household quintile for the overall children of other ethnicities. With the exception of African American females in the 2013-14 survey, for whom overweight/obesity was significantly concentrated in a quintile of the richest households (SII = 12.60, 95% CI = 0.24, 24.97 and CIX = 7.86, 95% CI = 15.59, 0.12); overweight/obesity was found to be concentrated in the richest household quintile for overall African American children, but not significantly so.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings give an update and reinforce the notion that overweight/obesity in children under the age of five has increased and that related wealth inequalities are a public health problem in the United States.

Association of subjective social status with epigenetic aging among Black and White women

OBJECTIVE

Subjective social status (SSS), an individual's assessment of their own social status in relation to others, is associated with health and mortality independently of objective SES; however, no studies have tested whether SSS influences epigenetic aging. The current study examines if SSS is associated with epigenetic age acceleration in both Black and White women, independently of objective SES measured during both childhood and adulthood.

METHOD

For 9- and 10-year-old Black and White girls, parental education and annual household income was obtained. At ages 39-42, 361 participants (175 Black, 186 White) reported their current education, household income, and SSS, and provided saliva to assess age acceleration using the GrimAge epigenetic clock. Linear regression estimated the association of SSS with epigenetic age acceleration, controlling for objective SES (current education, current income, parents' education, income during childhood), smoking, and counts of cell types.

RESULTS

When all objective SES variables were included in the model, SSS remained significantly associated with epigenetic age acceleration, b = - 0.31, p = .003, ß = - 0.15. Black women had significantly greater age acceleration than White women, (t(359) = 5.20, p > .001, d = 0.55) but race did not moderate the association between SSS and epigenetic age acceleration.

CONCLUSIONS

Women who rated themselves lower in SSS had greater epigenetic age acceleration, regardless of income and education. There was no difference by race for this association.

School Climate and Bullying Bystander Responses in Middle and High School

Bullying bystanders' reactions are important for either stopping or perpetuating bullying behaviors. Given school-based bullying programs' focus on bystanders, understanding the associations between school-level factors and individual bystander responses can improve intervention efficacy. Data from 64,670 adolescents were used to examine bullying bystander responses as a function of 13 school-climate dimensions within 3 main factors (Engagement, Environment, Safety) and individual-level factors (e.g., race/ethnicity, perceptions of student-teacher connectedness). Multi-level models showed schools with better Engagement and Safety had higher odds of defender behaviors, a better Environment was associated with lower odds of passive and assisting behaviors. Differences also varied by individual-level factors. For example, an aggressive climate was associated with passive behaviors more strongly in boys and high schoolers. Further, higher perceived parent-teacher and student-teacher connectedness were associated with positive bystander behaviors, and this was stronger for Black and Latinx youth, highlighting the importance of improving relationships as a crucial starting point.

The effects of experimentally manipulated social status and subjective social status on physical activity among Hispanic adolescents: An RCT

BACKGROUND

Low objective socioeconomic status (SES) and subjective social status (SSS), one's perceived social rank, are associated with obesity. This association may be due, in part, to social status-related differences in energy expenditure. Experimental studies are needed to assess the extent to which SES and SSS relate to energy expenditure.

OBJECTIVE

Assess the effects of experimentally manipulated social status and SSS on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour.

METHODS

One hundred thirty-three Hispanic adolescents aged 15-21 were randomized to a high or low social status position, facilitated through a rigged game of Monopoly™. SSS was assessed with MacArthur Scales. Post-manipulation 24-h MVPA and sedentary behaviour were assessed via accelerometry. Analyses were conducted with general linear regression models.

RESULTS

Experimentally manipulated social status did not significantly affect the total time spent in MVPA or sedentary behaviour; however, identifying as low SSS was significantly associated with less MVPA (p = 0.0060; 18.76 min less).

CONCLUSIONS

Tewnty-four-hour MVPA and sedentary behaviour are not affected by an acute experimental manipulation of social status. However, low SSS, independent of SES, was associated with clinically significant differences in MVPA. SSS may be a better predictor of MVPA than SES among Hispanic adolescents, potentially influencing obesity, and other health-related outcomes.

How does subjective social status affect internalizing and externalizing problems among Syrian refugee adolescents?

Although previous studies found the importance of community subjective social status for adolescent health, its relationship with mental health problems among refugee adolescents is unclear. To close this gap, we examined the nature of the relationship between subjective social status and externalizing problems in refugee adolescents. We carried out a cross-sectional study among three hundred and six 11–18-year-old Syrian refugee adolescents in Turkey. The measurements of the study were the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Depression Self Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C), and the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS). The results supported the idea that adolescent’s community subjective social status may affect internalizing problems directly and externalizing problems indirectly via internalizing problems. The mediation effect of the internalizing problems on the relationship between subjective social status and externalizing problems were confirmed by three separate mediation models. The results were discussed in terms of previous literature.

Social Inequalities in Young People's Mental Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Do Psychosocial Resource Factors Matter?

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected young people aged 16–25 years and has brought about a major increase in mental health problems. Although there is persisting evidence regarding SES differences in mental health status, there is still little knowledge of the processes linking SES to young people's mental health, in particular during the current pandemic. Guided by a stress process model this study examines the role of different psychosocial resource factors in mitigating the vulnerability to mental distress among disadvantaged young people and specifies a range of possible mediating pathways. The research draws on a nationally representative longitudinal sample of 16–25 year-olds who participated in the Youth Economic Activity and Health (YEAH) online survey conducted in the UK between February and October 2021. Mental health was measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist for anxiety and depression. Socio-economic disadvantage was indicated by parental education and receipt of free school meals. Experience of stress was indicated by financial strain. Psychosocial resource factors included indicators of optimism, self-efficacy, and social support. We controlled for age, gender, living arrangements, and economic activity of the young person (being in education, employment or NEET). The findings suggest sequential mediating processes where SES influences are partially mediated via financial strain and the psychosocial resource factors. In addition, the psychosocial resource factors showed independent effects supporting mental health in the face of socio-economic adversity. Moreover, social support played a significant role in boosting self-efficacy and optimism, which in turn reduce mental distress. The findings highlighting the importance of specifying the assumed mediating processes, and to consider multiple resource factors instead of single aspects to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the processes linking SES to young people's mental health.

Trajectories of health-related quality of life by change pattern of objective and subjective social status

Long-term and cumulative social experiences influence an individual's objective and subjective social status. Social determinants of health are more effectively investigated by longitudinal rather than cross-sectional studies. The primary focus of this study was the prospective effect of socioeconomic transition on health-related quality of life trajectories. The study population were adults over 18 years of age who responded in all nine waves of the Korea Health Panel (2009–2017). Data were analyzed by group-based trajectory modeling to identify health trajectories, and group-based multi-trajectory modeling to investigate combined change patterns of objective and subjective social status (i.e., multi-SES trajectories). To predict the effects of underlying socioeconomic measures on health trajectory group membership, we included these time-stable covariates in trajectory modeling and estimated the risk of belonging to each trajectory based on the measures. The health-related quality of life trajectories showed three patterns during the period 2013 to 2017; 13.7% of individuals had a low and declining health trajectory and the others had a higher stable health trajectory. Four types of multi-SES trajectory were derived during the period 2009 to 2013; the richer had a steeper income slope while there were slight changes in subjective social status among all groups. These combined longitudinal SES patterns in 2009–2013 were strong predictors of subsequent health trajectory group membership in 2013–2017. These findings indicate that rich countries, such as South Korea, may encounter growing income inequality, where individuals become entrenched in income disparity that pins down their perceptions of social position. Over time this rigid social structure will widen the gap in health-related quality of life.

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Changes in health are strongly influenced by changes in the combined patterns of objective and subjective social status.

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Objective and subjective social status interact, forming distinct trajectories in the life-course.

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Benefits from society are concentrated on the privileged, exacerbating income inequality and health disparities over time.

Longitudinal Trajectories of Food Insecurity in Childhood and Their Associations With Mental Health and Functioning in Adolescence

IMPORTANCE

Household food insecurity has been associated with mental health problems in children independently of family income and other confounders. It is unclear whether food insecurity during childhood is also associated with mental health and functioning during adolescence.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate longitudinal trajectories of household food insecurity during the first 13 years of life, characteristics associated with these trajectories, and the associations of the trajectories with externalizing, internalizing, substance use, and social adjustment problems at 15 years of age.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study included participants from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a cohort of 2120 children born in Québec, Canada, in 1997 and 1998 and followed up annually or biannually from 5 months to 15 years of age (1998-2013). Data were analyzed from November 2020 to October 2021.

EXPOSURES

When children were aged 1.5, 4, 8, 10, 12, and 13 years, mothers reported whether a family member experienced hunger because the family had run out of food or money to buy food in the past 12 months.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify differential exposure to food insecurity from 1.5 to 13 years according to logit functions of age. At 15 years of age, adolescents completed validated questionnaires assessing externalizing, internalizing, substance use, and social adjustment problems. Associations between trajectories of food insecurity and outcomes were assessed using linear regressions.

RESULTS

A total of 2032 individuals were included in the analyses of trajectories of food insecurity (1026 [50.5%] male) and 1441 in the analysis of the association with outcomes at 15 years of age (752 [52.2%] female). Two trajectories of food insecurity were identified between 1.5 and 13 years of age: high risk (73 children [3.6%]) and low risk (1959 children [96.4%]). At 5 months, the high-risk and low-risk groups differed in household characteristics including income insufficiency (58 [80.6%] vs 405 [21.0%]), single parenthood (21 [29.2%] vs 135 [6.9%]), and parental history of depression (mothers: 30 [43.5%] vs 411 [21.7%]; fathers: 12 [32.4%] vs 209 [13.5%]). The high-risk trajectory from 1.5 to 13 years of age was associated with cannabis use (β, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.12-0.81), peer bullying (β, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.08-0.77), and dropout potential (β, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.03-0.68) at 15 years of age after adjustment for sex, household income insufficiency, and parental mental health.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study, few children experienced a persistent high risk of food insecurity, which was associated with psychosocial problems later in adolescence after adjustment for confounders including low income. Early identification of risk for food insecurity may guide the delivery of tailored interventions to improve functioning in adolescence.

Child Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

BACKGROUND

The United Nations (UN) created the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) to monitor progress toward achieving goals of the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection, and Development of Children and its plan of action. The MICS is nationally representative and internationally comparable.

METHODS

In this study, we use MICS data from 51 low- and middle-income countries on 159 959 children between 36 and 59 months of age. To index national development, we used the 2013 UN Human Development Index (HDI), which provides data on country-level life expectancy, education, and income. To index child development, we used the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI), which assesses literacy and numeracy, socioemotional development, physical health, and approaches to learning.

RESULTS

Children's literacy and numeracy, socioemotional development, and approaches to learning all increase linearly as national development on the HDI (especially education) increases. Overall, the HDI revealed a positive association (r = 0.40) with the ECDI: the HDI explained 16% of variance in children's ECDI scores and was the most influential predictor of ECDI scores examined. HDI-ECDI relations are robust, even when we control for multiple demographic aspects of children (age, sex), mothers (age, education), and households (size variables) as covariates. No family demographic variable was a stronger predictor of child development than national development.

CONCLUSIONS

To promote child development, low- and middle-income countries need to develop and implement policies that ensure national health and wealth and, particularly, the educational achievements of children's caregivers. These findings are faithful to the World Summit for Children and inform the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which drive the international development agenda through 2030.

Subjective Social Status Is Associated with Dysregulated Eating Behaviors and Greater Body Mass Index in an Urban Predominantly Black and Low-Income Sample

Background: Higher subjective social status (SSS) or a person’s perception of their social standing is related to better health outcomes, but few studies examined SSS in relation to obesity. Emotional eating and food addiction have been linked to obesity. Some studies indicated that manipulating SSS may lead to altered food intake, but the relationship between SSS and dysregulated eating, such as emotional eating and food addiction (FA), has not been examined. The goal of this study was to examine the associations between SSS in the community and the larger society, dysregulated eating (emotional eating and FA), and body mass index (BMI) in a majority racial minority sample. Methods: The participants (N = 89; 93% Black, 86% women, and 56% with obesity; 72% income lower than USD 2000), recruited from a publicly funded hospital in Atlanta, GA, completed the MacArthur Scale, Dutch Eating Behaviors Questionnaire, Yale Food Addiction Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, PTSD Symptom Checklist, and demographics questionnaire. Results: Twenty-two percent of the sample met the criteria for FA; those with FA had significantly higher BMI than those without (p = 0.018). In the hierarchical linear regression, the SSS community (but not in society) predicted higher severity of emotional eating (β = 0.26, p = 0.029) and FA (β = 0.30, p = 0.029), and higher BMI (β = 0.28, p = 0.046), independent from depression and PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: The findings indicate that, among Black individuals with predominantly low income in the U.S., perceived role in their community is associated with eating patterns and body mass. Given the small sample size, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Integrating Objective and Subjective Social Class to Advance Our Understanding of Externalizing Problem Behavior in Children and Adolescents: A Conceptual Review and Model

Extant research has identified both objective measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and subjective social class (SSC) as important predictors of psychosocial outcomes in childhood and adolescence, particularly with regard to externalizing symptoms. Given the importance of the associations with SES and SSC, a more nuanced and integrated conceptual understanding of early pathways of vulnerability implicated in the development and maintenance of youth externalizing problems is warranted. Thus, this review will: (1) operationalize both SES and SSC and their current standards of measurement; (2) examine current literature describing their respective associations with a range of externalizing symptoms in both children and adolescents; (3) review current theoretical models connecting SES and SSC and youth development and the strengths and limitations of those approaches; (4) propose a new conceptual socioecological model situating the impact of SES and SSC on youth externalizing problems in the context of parents and peers as a framework to further integrate existing research and guide future work; and (5) discuss potential clinical implications at the intersection of this work.

Perceived Social Status and Suicidal Ideation in Maltreated Children and Adolescents

Recent decades have seen an alarming increase in rates of suicide among young people, including children and adolescents (“youth”). Although child maltreatment constitutes a well-established risk factor for suicidal ideation in youth, few efforts have focused on identifying factors associated with maltreated youths’ increased risk for suicidal ideation, especially across development. The present study examined the relations between maltreated youths' (N = 279, M = 12.06 years, 52% female, 53% Latinx) perceptions of their social status and suicidal ideation and compared those relations between pre-adolescents and adolescents. Findings revealed unique developmental patterns: Perceived social status was associated with suicidal ideation, but only in adolescents, who showed greater risk for suicidal ideation if they viewed themselves as lower ranked in society and lower risk for suicidal ideation if they viewed themselves as higher ranked in society. Findings have implications for scientific and practical efforts aimed at better understanding and preventing suicide in a high-risk developmental population.

Subjective Social Status and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers by Intersectionality of Race/Ethnicity and Sex Among U.S. Young Adults

BACKGROUND

Subjective social status (SSS) has shown inverse relationships with cardiometabolic risk, but intersectionalities of race/ethnicity and sex may indicate more nuanced relationships.

PURPOSE

To investigate associations of SSS with cardiometabolic risk markers by race/ethnicity and sex.

METHODS

Data were from Wave IV (2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 4,847; 24-32 years), which collected biological cardiometabolic risk markers. A 10-step ladder captured SSS; respondents indicated on which step they perceived they stood in relation to other people in the U.S. higher values indicated higher SSS (range: 1-10). We tested the relationship between SSS and individual markers using generalized least square means linear regression models, testing three-way interactions between SSS, race/ethnicity, and sex (p < .10) before stratification.

RESULTS

SSS-race/ethnicity-sex interactions were significantly associated with waist circumference (p ≤ .0001), body mass index (BMI; p ≤ .0001), systolic blood pressure (SBP; p ≤ .0001), diastolic blood pressure (DBP; p = .0004), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; p = .07). SSS was associated with waist circumference (β [SE]: -1.2 (0.4), p < .05) and BMI (-0.6 [0.2], p < .01) for non-Hispanic White females, compared with males; with HDL-C among non-Hispanic White (0.2 [0.1]; p < .05) and Hispanic (0.3 (0.1); p < .05) females, compared with males; with SBP for non-Hispanic Asian (1.7 [0.8]; p < .05) and Multiracial (1.8 [0.8]; p < .05), versus White, females; and with DBP for non-Hispanic Black (0.8 [0.3]; p < .01), versus White, males.

CONCLUSIONS

SSS was differentially related to cardiometabolic risk markers by race/ethnicity and sex, suggesting intersectional aspects. Clinical and research applications of SSS should consider race/ethnicity- and sex-specific pathways influencing cardiometabolic risk.

How does engagement in society in adolescence affect educational attainment and employment in early adulthood: A prospective cohort study

Introduction

Educational attainment and employment are essential for young people to develop the skills needed to participate in society and maintain a stable connection to the labour market in adult life. The objective of this study was to examine associations between engagement in society, measured by leisure time activities and part-time work in mid and late adolescence and educational attainment and employment in early adulthood.

Method

A cohort of Danish young people born in 1989 was followed in a prospective study with questionnaires in 2004 (n = 3,054) and 2007 (n = 2,400) where information on leisure time activities and part-time work was collected. Information on connection to education and work was collected from a register of social benefits when participants were 25–29 years old and divided into high and low connection. The associations were examined using logistic regression and stratified by gender and childhood socioeconomic groups.

Results

Part-time work was, both in mid (OR: 1.7 [95% CI 1.3; 2.2]) and late (1.9 [1.4;2.6]) adolescence, positively associated with connection to education and work. Leisure time activities in mid adolescence were associated with connection to education and work (OR:1.6 [1.2;2.1]). Among men engagement in society showed strongest associations with later connection to education or work in mid adolescence (ORs up to 2.2), whereas the associations for women seemed strongest in late adolescence (ORs up to 2.8).

Conclusion

The study showed that adolescent engagement in society had positive associations with later educational attainment and employment, with stronger impact of part-time work compared to leisure time activities. The study identified differences between genders and the timing of engagement. Associations were consistent across socioeconomic groups.

Country-Level Meritocratic Beliefs Moderate the Social Gradient in Adolescent Mental Health: A Multilevel Study in 30 European Countries

PURPOSE

Adolescents with higher socioeconomic status (SES) report better mental health. The strength of the association-the "social gradient in adolescent mental health"-varies across countries, with stronger associations in countries with greater income inequality. Country-level meritocratic beliefs (beliefs that people get what they deserve) may also strengthen the social gradient in adolescent mental health; higher SES may be more strongly linked to adolescent's perceptions of capability and respectful treatment.

METHODS

Using data from 11-15 year olds across 30 European countries participating in the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (n = 131,101), multilevel regression models with cross-level interactions examined whether country-level meritocratic beliefs moderated the association between two individual-level indicators of SES, family affluence and perceived family wealth, and three indicators of adolescent mental health (life satisfaction, psychosomatic complaints, and aggressive behavior).

RESULTS

For family affluence, in some countries, there was a social gradient in adolescent mental health, but in others the social gradient was absent or reversed. For perceived family wealth, there was a social gradient in adolescent life satisfaction and psychosomatic complaints in all countries. Country-level meritocratic beliefs moderated associations between SES and both life satisfaction and psychosomatic complaints: in countries with stronger meritocratic beliefs associations with family affluence strengthened, while associations with perceived family wealth weakened.

CONCLUSIONS

Country-level meritocratic beliefs moderate the associations between SES and adolescent mental health, with contrasting results for two different SES measures. Further understanding of the mechanisms connecting meritocratic beliefs, SES, and adolescent mental health is warranted.

Being Successful and Being Thin: The Effects of Thin-Ideal Social Media Images With High Socioeconomic Status on Women's Body Image and Eating Behaviour

Social media has outpaced traditional media to be the most popular sociocultural channel to transmit thin-ideal images, an established trigger for body image concerns and disordered eating in women. With an experimental design, the present research first demonstrated that exposure to thin images on social media threatened women's body image and increased their unhealthy food consumption (Study 1). However, given that thin images posted on social media are usually from wealthier people, the present research hypothesised that it may not be the body shape but the perceived socioeconomic status (SES) of images that indeed have negative effects on women. By manipulating the perceived SES of thin images and incorporating a baseline control group (Study 2), the present research provided causal evidence for the hypothesis by indicating that viewing thin images with parallel-perceived SES could significantly buffer undesirable thin-ideal effects on self-objectification and food intake. Therefore, future research needs to pay more attention to the role of SES in the thin media images literature.

It's All in the Family: Parents' Economic Worries and Youth's Perceptions of Financial Stress and Educational Outcomes

Perceived economic stress and lower subjective social status (SSS) have adverse effects on parents’ and adolescents’ emotional well-being, but less is known about associations with academic adjustment among preadolescent youth. This study examined associations between SSS, perceived economic stress about needs and wants, and academic adjustment among preadolescents and early adolescents (n = 136, ages 8 to 14 years, 44% girls, 61% White) and their parents (n = 164, majority middle- to higher SES). Overall, youth who worried more about their family’s economic needs had lower academic achievement and youth who reported lower SSS had lower academic motivation. No significant differences were observed in the strength of associations between parent and youth perceptions and academic outcomes for early adolescents versus preadolescents.

Adolescents' perceptions of family social status correlate with health and life chances: A twin difference longitudinal cohort study

Children from lower-income households are at increased risk for poor health, educational failure, and behavioral problems. This social gradient is one of the most reproduced findings in health and social science. How people view their position in social hierarchies also signals poor health. However, when adolescents' views of their social position begin to independently relate to well-being is currently unknown. A cotwin design was leveraged to test whether adolescents with identical family backgrounds, but who viewed their family's social status as higher than their same-aged and sex sibling, experienced better well-being in early and late adolescence. Participants were members of the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, a representative cohort of British twins (n = 2,232) followed across the first 2 decades of life. By late adolescence, perceptions of subjective family social status (SFSS) robustly correlated with multiple indicators of health and well-being, including depression; anxiety; conduct problems; marijuana use; optimism; not in education, employment, or training (NEET) status; and crime. Findings held controlling for objective socioeconomic status both statistically and by cotwin design after accounting for measures of childhood intelligence (IQ), negative affect, and prior mental health risk and when self-report, informant report, and administrative data were used. Little support was found for the biological embedding of adolescents' perceptions of familial social status as indexed by inflammatory biomarkers or cognitive tests in late adolescence or for SFSS in early adolescence as a robust correlate of well-being or predictor of future problems. Future experimental studies are required to test whether altering adolescents' subjective social status will lead to improved well-being and social mobility.

Objective and subjective socioeconomic status associated with metabolic syndrome severity among African American adults in Jackson Heart Study

PURPOSE

To assess independent associations between objective socioeconomic status (OSS) and subjective social status (SSS) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity and indicators among African American (AA) adults in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) at baseline (2000-2004) and eight-year follow-up (2009-2013).

METHODS

Participants included 1724 AA adults from the JHS cohort (64.4 % women; mean age 53.4 ± 11.8). Associations of OSS (annual household income and school years completed) and SSS (measured with MacArthur Scales) with sex- and race/ethnic-specific MetS severity Z-score were examined after adjustment for demographics and MetS risk factors (i.e., nutrition, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and depressive symptoms) at baseline and eight-year follow-up.

PRINCIPAL RESULTS

Independent of OSS, demographic, psychosocial, and lifestyle factors, individuals with lower US-society SSS had more severe MetS at baseline. A significant interaction existed between sex and US-society SSS such that women with lower perceived social status had more severe MetS severity at baseline, and for every one unit increase in US-society SSS, MetS severity Z-score is estimated to decrease by 0.04. Components of MetS driving the relationship between US-society SSS and MetS severity at baseline were the inverse associations of SSS with glucose levels and the positive associations of SSS with HDL-C. Physical activity was independently associated with MetS severity at baseline, but not at eight-year follow-up.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Though subjective and objective measures of social status are independently associated with cardiometabolic risk factors and MetS severity among AA adults, SSS may be a stronger predictor of MetS severity than OSS, particularly among women. SSS should be considered in conjunction with OSS when exploring social determinants of cardiometabolic health.

Profiles of Adolescent Identity at the Intersection of Ethnic/Racial Identity, American Identity, and Subjective Social Status

Ethnic/racial minority adolescents face the task of forming an identity in relation to their ethnic/racial group as well as to American society, while also developing awareness of their social status relative to salient social groups. Whereas previous studies have investigated individual social identity dimensions or examined how objective measures of ethnicity/race and socioeconomic status intersect, studies that take a holistic and person-centered approach to considering various configurations of multiple social identities with subjective measures have been less common. The current study addresses these gaps and explores profiles of ethnic/racial identity, American identity, and subjective social status among ethnic/racial minority adolescents. Next, differences in discrimination experiences, mental health and academic outcomes across these profiles were examined. Three distinct identity profiles emerged from the data - "weakly identified," "high ethnic/racial identity moderate American identity," and "moderate ethnic/racial identity and American identity." The "weakly identified" demonstrated the highest levels of past discrimination experiences and depressive symptoms, while the "moderate ethnic/racial identity and American identity" group reported the lowest levels of school engagement. Interpretation of the profiles and associated outcomes and implications are discussed.

Subjective social status and health during high school and young adulthood

Although many facets of social status (i.e., socioeconomic status, gender, race) are fairly stable, limited work has assessed how youths' identification with their status changes over time. Subjective social status (SSS) refers to one's perception of standing or rank relative to others, and for youth status is generally in the context of society or school. The current study assessed how adolescents' SSS in American society and in their school changes and predicts health and well-being during and after high school. A total of 336 adolescents (M_age = 16.40 at Wave 1) reported their SSS at up to three time points, each 2 years apart, such that youth provided data between the 10th grade and 3 years following the transition from high school. Piecewise multilevel modeling was used, including discontinuities to assess the importance of the transition from high school. Society SSS decreased across the period, especially among youth with lower family income, youth whose parents reported lower SSS, and youth who did not attend college. School SSS was stable during high school, declined after 12th grade, and remained stable thereafter. Moderation analyses revealed that school SSS declines more consistently among female adolescents than male adolescents and Latinos relative to other ethnic groups. Lower society and school SSS were associated with more depressive symptoms and greater likelihood of obesity, highlighting the relevance of SSS for health during this important developmental transition. Results suggest declines in SSS are especially common among disadvantaged groups as they age, and that lower SSS may indicate risk for poorer health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Adolescents' Subjective Social Status Predicts Day-to-Day Mental Health and Future Substance Use

Adolescents' subjective social status (SSS) is associated with mental and behavioral health outcomes, independent of socioeconomic status (SES). Many previous findings, however, come from cross-sectional studies. We report results from a longitudinal study with 151 adolescents identified as at risk for early substance use and behavioral problems sampled from low-SES neighborhoods. We examined whether adolescent's SSS predicted mental health (depression, anxiety, and inattention/impulsivity) measured over 30 days via ecological momentary assessment and risk for substance use at an 18-month follow-up. Results showed that with each perceived step "up" the SSS ladder, adolescents experienced fewer mental health symptoms in daily life and lower future substance use risk after adjusting for objective SES and previous psychopathology. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Children's Perceptions of Economic Groups in a Context of Limited Access to Opportunities

Children (N = 267, ages 8-14 years, M = 11.61 years, middle to upper-middle income) made predictions regarding groups of same-aged peers from high-wealth and low-wealth backgrounds. The context involved granting access to a special opportunity. From middle childhood to early adolescence children increasingly expected both high- and low-wealth groups to want access to opportunities for their own group. However, children viewed high-wealth groups as motivated in part by selfishness and low-wealth groups as concerned in part with broader economic inequality. Finally, the higher children's family income, the more they expected group-serving tendencies. These findings revealed children's perceptions of exclusive preferences between economic groups, negative stereotypes about high-wealth children, and awareness of some of the constraints faced by low-wealth children.

Perceived access to resources and young children's fairness judgments

This study examined how young children's (N = 101, M_age = 4.14 years, SD = 0.57) perceptions of their families' access to resources affect their views on others' use and distribution of familiar items. Using a simple measure involving stickers, children identified their families as either lower, higher, or in the middle in access to resources. Then, children evaluated a scenario in which an individual took crayons from one person and gave them to another in order to establish equality. Children who saw themselves as higher in access to resources determined that this was "not okay" (ownership took priority). By contrast, children who saw themselves as lower in access to resources or in the middle did not consistently prioritize equality or ownership. Thus, not only did young children think about how much or how little their families had, but these perceptions also played a role in their reasoning about the fair treatment of others.

Perceived social status and mental health among young adolescents: Evidence from census data to cellphones

Adolescents in the United States live amid high levels of concentrated poverty and increasing income inequality. Poverty is robustly linked to adolescents' mental health problems; however, less is known about how perceptions of their social status and exposure to local area income inequality relate to mental health. Participants consisted of a population-representative sample of over 2,100 adolescents (ages 10-16), 395 of whom completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study. Participants' subjective social status (SSS) was assessed at the start of the EMA, and mental health symptoms were measured both at baseline for the entire sample and daily in the EMA sample. Adolescents' SSS tracked family, school, and neighborhood economic indicators (|r| ranging from .12 to .30), and associations did not differ by age, race, or gender. SSS was independently associated with mental health, with stronger associations among older (ages 14-16) versus younger (ages 10-13) adolescents. Adolescents with lower SSS reported higher psychological distress and inattention problems, as well as more conduct problems, in daily life. Those living in areas with higher income inequality reported significantly lower subjective social status, but this association was explained by family and neighborhood income. Findings illustrate that adolescents' SSS is correlated with both internalizing and externalizing mental health problems, and that by age 14 it becomes a unique predictor of mental health problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Oneself is more important: Exploring the role of narcissism and fear of negative evaluation in the relationship between subjective social class and dishonesty

Previous studies have found that high social class individuals are more dishonest than low social class ones. However, the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon is still unclear. The “ignoring negative consequences” hypothesis suggests that belonging to a high social class makes individuals ignore the negative consequences of dishonesty, whereas the “self-focused” hypothesis suggests that belonging to a high social class makes individuals focus more on the self and self-interests. The present study aims to examine these two hypotheses by measuring participants’ subjective social class, narcissism, fear of negative evaluation, and tendency to be dishonest. To this end, an online survey was conducted. Results provide evidence for the self-focused hypothesis by showing that subjective social class positively predicts the tendency to be dishonest, and narcissism plays a mediating role in this relationship.

Children's and Adolescents' Evaluations of Intergroup Exclusion in Interracial and Interwealth Peer Contexts

Children and adolescents (N = 153, ages 8-14 years, M_age  = 11.46 years) predicted and evaluated peer exclusion in interwealth (high-wealth and low-wealth) and interracial (African American and European American) contexts. With age, participants increasingly expected high-wealth groups to be more exclusive than low-wealth groups, regardless of their depicted race. Furthermore, children evaluated interwealth exclusion less negatively than interracial exclusion, and children who identified as higher in wealth evaluated interwealth exclusion less negatively than did children who identified as lower in wealth. Children cited explicit negative stereotypes about high-wealth groups in their justifications, while rarely citing stereotypes about low-wealth groups or racial groups. Results revealed that both race and wealth are important factors that children consider when evaluating peer exclusion.

Disparities in childhood overweight and obesity by income in the United States: an epidemiological examination using three nationally representative datasets

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Overweight and obesity (OWOB) is a global epidemic. Adults and adolescents from low-income households are at higher risk to be OWOB. This study examined the relationship between income and OWOB prevalence in children and adolescents (518 years) in the United States (US) within and across race/ethnicities, and changes in this relationship from 1971 to 2014.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

A meta-analysis of a nationally representative sample (N = 73,891) of US children and adolescents drawn from three datasets (i.e., National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, & the Early Childhood Longitudinal Program) which included 14 cross-sectional waves spanning 1971-2014 was conducted. The exposure was household income-to-poverty ratio (low income = 0.00-1.00, middle income = 1.01-4.00, high income >4.00) with prevalence of overweight or obesity (body mass index ≥ 85th percentile) as the outcome.

RESULTS

Children and adolescents from middle-income and high-income households were 0.78 (95% CI = 0.72, 0.83) and 0.68 (95% CI = 0.59, 0.77) times as likely to be OWOB compared to children and adolescents in low-income households. Separate analyses restricted to each racial/ethnic group showed children and adolescents from middle- and high-income households were less likely to be OWOB compared to their low-income peers within the White, Hispanic, and Other race/ethnic groups. Children and adolescents from low-income households who were Black were not more likely to be OWOB than their high- and middle-income counterparts. Analyses within each income stratum indicated that race/ethnicity was not related to the prevalence of OWOB in low-income households. However, racial/ethnic differences in OWOB were evident for children and adolescents in middle- and high-income households. Disparities in the prevalence of OWOB between low-income children and adolescents and their middle- and high-income counterparts have increased from 1971 to 2014.

CONCLUSIONS

Income and OWOB are related in US children and adolescents. Racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of OWOB emerge in middle- and high-income households. Disparities in OWOB prevalence are growing.

Complex effects of childhood abuse, affective temperament, and subjective social status on depressive symptoms of adult volunteers from the community

BACKGROUND

How subjective social status is associated with childhood abuse and affective temperament in the mechanism of depressive symptom exacerbation remains unknown. In this study, we investigated how the complex effects of subjective social status, childhood abuse, and affective temperament influence depressive symptoms in adulthood.

METHODS

Self-report questionnaires were distributed to 853 adult volunteers between January and August 2014. Of them, 404 people gave full consent and returned complete anonymous responses. The following five questionnaires were analyzed: demographic information, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, subjective social status, Child Abuse and Trauma Scale, and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego autoquestionnaire. The associations between the scores were analyzed by structural equation modeling. This study was conducted with approval from the ethics committees of Tokyo Medical University and Hokkaido University Hospital.

RESULTS

Covariance structure analysis demonstrated that childhood abuse and subjective social status did not have a direct effect on adulthood depressive symptoms. Childhood abuse had direct effects on subjective social status and affective temperament and childhood abuse indirectly affected adulthood depressive symptoms through subjective social status and affective temperament. Subjective social status also affected depressive symptoms through an effect on affective temperament. This model explained 43% of the variability in depressive symptoms and the fitness of this model was good.

CONCLUSION

Regarding childhood abuse and adulthood depressive symptoms, subjective social status as well as affective temperament may be mediators. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism of depression.

Youth Subjective Social Status (SSS) is Associated with Parent SSS, Income, and Food Insecurity but not Weight Loss Among Low-Income Hispanic Youth

OBJECTIVE

Subjective social status (SSS), perceived rank in the social ladder, is associated with weight, but determinants of SSS in youth remain unknown. Relationships between youth SSS and income, food insecurity, parent SSS, and BMI change were investigated during an obesity intervention.

METHODS

Data came from a family-centered, community-based obesity intervention for low-income families. Parent and youth SSS were assessed using a validated, age-appropriate SSS scale. Food insecurity and socioeconomic factors were assessed in parents; child and parent weight-related data were measured at baseline and post intervention.

RESULTS

Participants included 110 primarily Hispanic (97%) low-income youth and their parents. Food insecurity was reported in 66.4% of families. Youth SSS was positively associated with parent SSS (P = 0.0014). In both parents and children, the association between income and SSS was moderated by food insecurity such that lower income was more strongly associated with lower SSS among food-insecure households (P = 0.0286 and P = 0.0327, respectively). Youth SSS was not associated with youth BMI reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

Youth SSS was not predictive of weight loss in this intervention. Intriguingly, the association between income and SSS was modified by food insecurity, suggesting that food insecurity shapes the contribution of socioeconomic factors to one's perceived social status.

Subjective social status and health: Multidisciplinary explanations and methodological challenges

Since the early 2000s, evidence has been accumulating that subjective social status – a person’s sense of their own position on the social ladder – affects health above and beyond objective socioeconomic status. To date, however, little is known about how these distinct health effects of subjective social status can be explained. This article narratively reviews different explanatory approaches and key methodological challenges, backed up by empirical findings and supplemented by the authors’ own reflections. Both social–psychological and psychoneurobiological explanations can make a theoretically plausible contribution to explaining the subjective social status–health relationship. Experimental and panel designs appear promising for addressing important methodological challenges in this strand of research.

Combining role-play with interactive simulation to motivate informed climate action: Evidence from the World Climate simulation

Climate change communication efforts grounded in the information deficit model have largely failed to close the gap between scientific and public understanding of the risks posed by climate change. In response, simulations have been proposed to enable people to learn for themselves about this complex and politically charged topic. Here we assess the impact of a widely-used simulation, World Climate, which combines a socially and emotionally engaging role-play with interactive exploration of climate change science through the C-ROADS climate simulation model. Participants take on the roles of delegates to the UN climate negotiations and are challenged to create an agreement that meets international climate goals. Their decisions are entered into C-ROADS, which provides immediate feedback about expected global climate impacts, enabling them to learn about climate change while experiencing the social dynamics of negotiations. We assess the impact of World Climate by analyzing pre- and post-survey results from >2,000 participants in 39 sessions in eight nations. We find statistically significant gains in three areas: (i) knowledge of climate change causes, dynamics and impacts; (ii) affective engagement including greater feelings of urgency and hope; and (iii) a desire to learn and do more about climate change. Contrary to the deficit model, gains in urgency were associated with gains in participants’ desire to learn more and intent to act, while gains in climate knowledge were not. Gains were just as strong among American participants who oppose government regulation of free markets–a political ideology that has been linked to climate change denial in the US–suggesting the simulation’s potential to reach across political divides. The results indicate that World Climate offers a climate change communication tool that enables people to learn and feel for themselves, which together have the potential to motivate action informed by science.