Daily Interpersonal Experience Partially Explains the Association Between Social Rank and Physical Health

Overview

Journal Ann Behav Med

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Social Sciences

Date 2016 Jun 24

PMID 27333896

Citations 7

Authors

Jenny M Cundiff

Thomas W Kamarck

Stephen B Manuck

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Socioeconomic position is a well-established risk factor for poor physical health.

Purpose: This study examines whether the effects of lower social rank on physical health may be accounted for by differences in daily social experience.

Methods: In a large community sample (N = 475), we examined whether subjective social rank is associated with self-rated health, in part, through positive and negative perceptions of daily interpersonal interactions, assessed using ecological momentary assessment.

Results: Higher social rank was associated with higher average perceived positivity of social interactions in daily life (e.g., B = .18, p < .001), but not with perceived negativity of social interactions. Further, the association between social rank and self-rated physical health was partially accounted for by differences in perceived positivity of social interactions. This effect was independent of well-characterized objective markers of SES and personality traits.

Conclusions: Differences in the quality of day-to-day social interactions is a viable pathway linking lower social rank to poorer physical health.

Citing Articles

Relationship of personality, psychological distress, and substance use with social network characteristics of college going young adults.

Kumar P, Antony S, Murthy P, Thirumoorthy A, Philip M Indian J Psychiatry. 2023; 65(8):832-838.

PMID: 37736229 PMC: 10510637. DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_182_23.

Exploring the relationship between multiple dimensions of subjective socioeconomic status and self-reported physical and mental health: the mediating role of affect.

Kraft P, Kraft B Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1138367.

PMID: 37575108 PMC: 10416252. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1138367.

Expectations of respect and appreciation in daily life and associations with subclinical cardiovascular disease.

Cundiff J, Kamarck T, Muldoon M, Marsland A, Manuck S Health Psychol. 2022; 42(1):53-62.

PMID: 36409101 PMC: 9853515. DOI: 10.1037/hea0001255.

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

McClain A, Gallo L, Mattei J Ann Behav Med. 2021; 56(5):442-460.

PMID: 33942845 PMC: 9116590. DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaab025.

Social interactions and physical symptoms in daily life: quality matters for older adults, quantity matters for younger adults.

Zhaoyang R, Sliwinski M, Martire L, Smyth J Psychol Health. 2019; 34(7):867-885.

PMID: 30821176 PMC: 7141784. DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2019.1579908.

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