Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Health Trajectories of Late Life in China

• In Event: 322 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 06. Child/Adolescent Health

Abstract

Early socioeconomic status has a long arm impact on health in late life. Advantaged/Disadvantaged social positions cumulatively influence health trajectories over the life course. Effects of Childhood socioeconomic status on health trajectories of adulthood have been widely documented. Few research, however, examines how childhood SES influences trajectories of health in old age. Disadvantaged childhood increases the risk of function impairment and mortality in old age. Most previous studies on health trajectories have more focused on western countries, but less on Asian settings. Drawing data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), this paper examines how disadvantaged childhood socioeconomic conditions influence health trajectories across cohorts of old people.

Author

• Zhenhua Xu, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill