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.

Journal: Wellbeing, space and society

Volume: 3

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Department of Psychology, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines. INCAP Research Center for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (CIIPEC), Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), Guatemala City, Guatemala. USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines. SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Abstract summary 

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

Authors & Co-authors:  Varghese Jithin Sam JS Hall Rachel Waford RW Adair Linda S LS Patel Shivani A SA Martorell Reynaldo R Belleza Delia E DE Kroker-Lobos Maria F MF Lee Nanette R NR Nyati Lukhanyo H LH Ramirez-Zea Manuel M Richter Linda M LM Stein Aryeh D AD

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Adair L.S., Popkin B.M., Akin J.S., et al. Cohort profile: the Cebu longitudinal health and nutrition survey. Int. J. Epidemiol. 2011;40:619–625.
Authors :  12
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1016/j.wss.2022.100115
SSN : 2666-5581
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
BMI, Body Mass Index;Body mass index;Happiness;LMIC, Low- and middle-income country;PCA, Principal Component Analysis;Perceived community respect;Perceived economic status;SEP, Socio-economic Position;SHS, Subjective Happiness Scale;SRQ-20, World Health Organization Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20;SSS, Subjective Social Status;Socioeconomic status;Subjective social status
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
South Africa
Publication Country
England