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. 2013 Apr;25(3):383-404.
doi: 10.1177/0898264312468601. Epub 2012 Dec 16.

Early-life socioeconomic status and physical activity in later life: evidence from structural equation models

Tetyana Pudrovska  1 , Andriy Anishkin
Affiliations

Early-life socioeconomic status and physical activity in later life: evidence from structural equation models

Tetyana Pudrovska et al. J Aging Health. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the association between early-life socioeconomic status (SES) at age 18 and physical activity (PA) at age 65, elucidates mechanisms explaining this association, and explores gender differences in mediating pathways.

Methods: Multigroup structural equation modeling is applied to the 1957 to 2004 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS).

Results: Early-life SES is positively associated with exercise in later life. This association is mediated by socioeconomic resources, health problems, obesity, and depressive symptoms (women only) in 1993 and sports participation in 1957. All mediators explain over 95% of the effect of early-life SES.

Discussion: This study emphasizes the importance of complex multiple pathways linking early family SES to later-life PA. We identify chains of risks that need to be broken to improve PA among older adults. Our findings also suggest that interventions aimed at maintaining optimal physical functioning in old age should begin at least at midlife.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The Structural Part of the Estimating the Effect of Socioeconomic Status in 1957 on Physical Activity in 2004: The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, 1957–2004, N = 5,778 Note: Only theoretically central paths are shown for parsimony. SES = socioeconomic status.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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