Subjective Social Status is Associated with Happiness but Not Weight Status or Psychological Distress: An Analysis of Three Prospective Birth Cohorts from Low- and Middle-income Countries

Overview

Journal Wellbeing Space Soc

Date 2022 Dec 15

PMID 36518911

Authors

Jithin Sam Varghese

Rachel Waford Hall

Linda S Adair

Shivani A Patel

Reynaldo Martorell

Delia E Belleza

Maria F Kroker-Lobos

Nanette R Lee

Lukhanyo H Nyati

Manuel Ramirez-Zea

Linda M Richter

Aryeh D Stein

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Subjective social status (SSS, perception of social position relative to a frame of reference) has been associated with physical, mental and socio-emotional wellbeing. However, these associations may be susceptible to unmeasured confounding by life course objective socio-economic position (SEP; such as wealth, education and employment) and life satisfaction.

Purpose: To estimate the association of position on ladders of perceived community respect and perceived economic status with weight, distress and wellbeing, independent of objective SEP in cohorts from three low and middle-income countries.

Methods: We used data from birth cohorts in Guatemala (n = 1258), Philippines (n = 1323) and South Africa (n = 1393). We estimated the association of perceived community respect and perceived economic status with body mass index (kg/m), the World Health Organization's Self-Reported Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) for psychological distress, and Lyubomirsky's Subjective Happiness Scale. We estimated these associations using robust linear regression models adjusting for indicators of life course objective SEP, early life characteristics, adult covariates, and life satisfaction.

Results: Participants in South Africa (age 27-28y) rated themselves higher on average for both the respect (7 vs 5 in Guatemala and 6 in Philippines) and economic (5 vs 3 in Guatemala and 4 in Philippines) ladder measures. Position on neither community respect nor economic ladders were associated with BMI or psychological distress. Higher position on community respect (Guatemala: 0.03, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.04; Philippines: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.05; South Africa: 0.07, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.09) and economic (Guatemala: 0.02, 95%CI: 0, 0.04; Philippines: 0.04, 95%CI: 0.02, 0.07; South Africa: 0.07, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.10) ladders were associated with greater happiness.

Conclusions: Subjective social status showed small but consistent associations with happiness in birth cohorts independent of life-course SEP.

Citing Articles

Scoping review of happiness and well-being measurement: uses and implications for paediatric surgery in low- and middle-income contexts.

Harrison J, Pringle C, Dolan C BMJ Open. 2025; 15(2):e089703.

PMID: 39920043 PMC: 11808877. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-089703.

Subjective social status, health and well-being among older adults in China and South Korea: a cross-sectional analysis.

Yan J, Wang Y, Yang E, Wang J, Lv B, Cao Y BMJ Open. 2024; 14(4):e081872.

PMID: 38589265 PMC: 11015235. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081872.

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