Addressing social inequality in aging by the Danish occupational social class measurement

TY - JOUR

T1 - Addressing social inequality in aging by the Danish occupational social class measurement

AU - Christensen, Ulla

AU - Krølner, Rikke

AU - Nilsson, Charlotte J

AU - Lyngbye, Pernille W

AU - Hougaard, Charlotte Ø

AU - Nygaard, Else

AU - Thielen, Karsten

AU - Holstein, Bjørn E

AU - Avlund, Kirsten

AU - Lund, Rikke

PY - 2014/2

Y1 - 2014/2

N2 - Objective: To present the Danish Occupational Social Class (DOSC) measurement as a measure of socioeconomic position (SEP) applicable in a late midlife population, and to analyze associations of this measure with three aging-related outcomes in midlife, adjusting for education. Method: Systematic coding procedures of the DOSC measurement were applied to 7,084 participants from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) survey. We examined the association of this measure of SEP with chronic conditions, self-rated health, and mobility in logistic regression analyses, adjusting for school education in the final analysis. Results: The measure of SEP showed a strong social gradient along the social classes in terms of prevalence of chronic conditions, poor self-rated health, and mobility limitations. Adjusting for school education attenuated the association only to a minor degree. Discussion: The DOSC measure was associated with aging-related outcomes in a midlife Danish population, and is, thus, well suited for future epidemiological research on social inequalities in health and aging.

AB - Objective: To present the Danish Occupational Social Class (DOSC) measurement as a measure of socioeconomic position (SEP) applicable in a late midlife population, and to analyze associations of this measure with three aging-related outcomes in midlife, adjusting for education. Method: Systematic coding procedures of the DOSC measurement were applied to 7,084 participants from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) survey. We examined the association of this measure of SEP with chronic conditions, self-rated health, and mobility in logistic regression analyses, adjusting for school education in the final analysis. Results: The measure of SEP showed a strong social gradient along the social classes in terms of prevalence of chronic conditions, poor self-rated health, and mobility limitations. Adjusting for school education attenuated the association only to a minor degree. Discussion: The DOSC measure was associated with aging-related outcomes in a midlife Danish population, and is, thus, well suited for future epidemiological research on social inequalities in health and aging.

U2 - 10.1177/0898264314522894

DO - 10.1177/0898264314522894

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24584263

SN - 0898-2643

VL - 26

SP - 106

EP - 127

JO - Journal of Aging and Health

JF - Journal of Aging and Health

IS - 1

ER -