title: Socioeconomic inequalities in health trajectories in Switzerland: are trajectories diverging as people age?
abstract: Do socioeconomic differences in health status increase as people age, reflecting cumulative advantage or disadvantage in health trajectories? Life course research hypothesises that cumulative advantage/disadvantage (CAD) is an important underlying social process that shape inequalities as people age. The objective of this study is to examine whether health trajectories are diverging as people age across socioeconomic positions (education, employment status and income). In a random sample of 3,665 respondents living in Switzerland (Swiss Household Panel 2004-2011), trajectories of self-rated health, body mass index, depression and medicated functioning were examined with multilevel regression models. The results showed that employment status and income were associated with diverging health trajectories among men; however, only a few associations supported the CAD hypothesis. Education was rarely associated with diverging health trajectories. In conclusion, little evidence was found to support the CAD model.
authors: National Centre of Competence for Research 'LIVES - Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives', Institute of Demographic and Life Course Studies, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors: Stéphane
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3881-446X
authors: S
authors: Cullati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Switzerland; cumulative advantage and disadvantage model; health trajectories; life course; socioeconomic inequalities