Kahn Joan R, Pearlin Leonard I
Department of Sociology, Maryland Population Research Center, The University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA.
J Health Soc Behav. 2006 Mar;47(1):17-31. doi: 10.1177/002214650604700102.
This paper focuses on financial strain across the life course as a condition underlying health inequalities observed in later life. The analysis is based on data from 1167 adults 65 years and older collected as part of the 'Aging, Stress and Health Study". Relying on retrospective data about hardship experienced over the life course, we find that long-term financial hardship is reflected in a range of health outcomes at late life, even after controlling for the effects of current financial circumstances. Moreover, the sheer persistence of hardship matters more than its episodic occurrence or timing, so that the health effects of early hardship may be obviated if followed by no further hardship. This pattern offindings is consistent with the notion of allostatic load, the cumulative damage done to health and well-being under the burden of an unrelenting stressor in a critically important life domain.
本文关注的是贯穿生命历程的经济压力，它是晚年出现健康不平等现象的一个潜在条件。该分析基于“衰老、压力与健康研究”项目收集的1167名65岁及以上成年人的数据。依靠关于生命历程中所经历艰难困苦的回顾性数据，我们发现，即便在控制了当前经济状况的影响之后，长期经济困难仍反映在晚年的一系列健康结果中。此外，艰难困苦的持续存在比其偶尔出现或发生时间更为重要，因此，如果早期艰难困苦之后不再有其他艰难困苦，那么其对健康的影响可能会消除。这一研究结果模式与“应变负荷”的概念相符，即在一个至关重要的生活领域中，无情压力源的负担对健康和幸福造成的累积损害。
