Preprint · Feb 16, 2023
The role of psychosocial resources in explaining the development of socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health and memory: a prospective study of older UK adults
By Putra IGNE, Daly M, Robinson E
We tested psychosocial resources in explaining the development of socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health and memory over six years of follow-up in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Self-rated health and memory declined more in the least affluent participants than in the wealthy. Psychosocial resources (a collection of measured psychological and social resources) explained 30% and 54% of socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health and memory, respectively. Psychological components (e.g., depressive symptoms, eudemonic well-being) largely explained socioeconomic inequalities in both self-rated health and memory. Psychosocial pathways in explaining the development of health inequalities in later life warrant further testing.