Further resource multiplication at more advanced ages? Interactions between education, parental socioeconomic status, and age in their impacts upon health

Abstract

While scholarship has shown that socioeconomic status creates fine-grained gradients in health, there is debate regarding whether having higher amounts of one socioeconomic resource amplifies (resource multiplication) or reduces (resource substitution) the health benefits of one's other socioeconomic resources. A further question is whether these processes are accentuated or diminished at more advanced ages. Using the 2016 and 2018 waves of the United States General Social Survey (N = 2995) and logistic regression analyses, this study reveals processes of resource multiplication between respondents' education and both parental education and parental occupational prestige in their effects upon self-rated health. Furthermore, these processes are accentuated at more advanced ages. Additionally, these interactive effects remain significant after controlling for respondent-level total family income and occupational prestige, suggesting mechanisms beyond actualized socioeconomic circumstances. These findings raise concerns regarding less educated older persons coming from less advantaged backgrounds. Accordingly, policies and programs should help equalize social circumstances early in

For Whom Does Education Convey Health Benefits? A Two-Generation and Life-Course Approach

“…Our additional life-course analyses (Figure 4S) suggest that the mixed findings in previous studies may be partly attributed to differing age distributions in the study samples. Based on samples of adult respondents age 20/25 or older, Bauldry's (2014), Settels' (2022), and Veenstra and Vanzella-Yang's (2022 reported that a college degree was more beneficial for people from advantaged backgrounds. In contrast, Ross and Mirowsky (2011), Schaan (2014), andVable et al (2018) used data of age 60 or older respondents and found evidence supporting the recourse substitution hypothesis.…”

“…For example, Ross and Mirowsky (2011), Schaan (2014) and Vable et al (2018) found that higher education provided more health benefits for those from a disadvantaged background. In contrast, Bauldry (2014), Settels (2022), andVeenstra andVanzella-Yang (2022) suggested that college education is more beneficial for the advantaged. Such mixed findings may be attributed to various sources including different methodological approaches, age samples, and/or health outcomes.…”