Subjective social status and health behaviors among African Americans

Am J Health Behav. 2013 Jan;37(1):104-11. doi: 10.5993/AJHB.37.1.12.

Abstract

Objectives: To examine associations of the US and community subjective social status (SSS) ladders with smoking status, at-risk drinking, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and body mass index among 1467 church-going African American adults from a larger cohort study.

Methods: Regression analyses, adjusted for sociodemographics, examined associations between SSS ladders and health behaviors.

Results: The SSS-US ladder was significantly associated with fruit and vegetable consumption (p = .007) and physical activity (p = .005). The SSS-community ladder was not significantly associated with any health behaviors.

Conclusions: Among this sample of African Americans, the SSS-US ladder is more predictive of some health behaviors than is the SSS-community ladder.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Female
  • Health Behavior*
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Social Class*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires