Abstract
We tested two competing hypotheses—relative social position and community resources—in regards to their effect on two co-occurring
health problems (depression, and obesity) in a sample of smokers participating in an online smoking cessation intervention.
Income and education data at the zip code level from the 2000 Census was linked with individual level data. Logistic regression
models were used for each co-occurring problem to determine how each SES variable (individually and interactively) was associated
with the presence of co-occurring health problems. We found that lower individual education was related to poorer health for
all outcomes (Depression: OR = 1.25; Obesity: OR = 1.24; Both: OR = 1.46), lower community education was only related to obesity
(OR = 1.20). Lower individual income was related to higher rates of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.64) and both health problems
(OR = 1.55); a significant interaction of individual and community income (Wald = 6.13, p < .05) revealed that high income individuals were less likely to be depressed if they lived in lower-income communities and
became more likely to be so as community income increased. Relative social position was confirmed for depression, whereas
community resources were prominent only for obesity. Higher individual education most consistently predicted positive health
outcomes, making it a potentially powerful target to reduce health disparities.
health problems (depression, and obesity) in a sample of smokers participating in an online smoking cessation intervention.
Income and education data at the zip code level from the 2000 Census was linked with individual level data. Logistic regression
models were used for each co-occurring problem to determine how each SES variable (individually and interactively) was associated
with the presence of co-occurring health problems. We found that lower individual education was related to poorer health for
all outcomes (Depression: OR = 1.25; Obesity: OR = 1.24; Both: OR = 1.46), lower community education was only related to obesity
(OR = 1.20). Lower individual income was related to higher rates of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.64) and both health problems
(OR = 1.55); a significant interaction of individual and community income (Wald = 6.13, p < .05) revealed that high income individuals were less likely to be depressed if they lived in lower-income communities and
became more likely to be so as community income increased. Relative social position was confirmed for depression, whereas
community resources were prominent only for obesity. Higher individual education most consistently predicted positive health
outcomes, making it a potentially powerful target to reduce health disparities.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-6
- DOI 10.1007/s10464-012-9492-z
- Authors
- Adrian Aguilera, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, 120 Haviland Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Yan Leykin, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Nancy Adler, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Ricardo F. Muñoz, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Journal American Journal of Community Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2770
- Print ISSN 0091-0562