Long-Term Physical Health Consequences of Perceived Inequality: Results from a Twin Comparison Design

• In Event: Using Quasi-Experimental Research Designs to Isolate Environmental Influences: Advancements in Life-Course Research

Abstract

Previous research has identified long-term exposure to stress as a risk factor for a wide range of negative mental and physical health outcomes. This pattern of findings suggests that environmental stimuli that evoke feelings of stress or strain may also result in various physiological responses, which may accumulate over the life course and ultimately increase the overall risk of various physical health conditions. Previous studies have operationalized physiological “wear and tear” resulting from sustained levels of stress or strain as allostatic load (AL), a comprehensive indicator of stress exposure. The current study examines the association between one potential source of stress—perceived inequality—and AL in a sample of twins from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study. The results of a series of twin comparison models, which include controls for latent sources of influence that cluster within families, revealed significant associations between greater perceptions of injustice and greater overall levels of AL. The association persisted even after including additional controls for individual level covariates related to lifestyle (e.g., smoking status), overall physical health, and socioeconomic status. The implications of the findings for future criminological research and theory will be discussed in more detail.

Author

• Joseph Schwartz, University of Nebraska at Omaha