Tetyana Pudrovska - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Tetyana Pudrovska

Research on Aging, 2012

Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. ... more Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. We explore direct and indirect effects of early-life socioeconomic status (SES) on breast cancer prevalence in later life. Using 50-year data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (N = 4,275) and structural equation modeling, we found a negative direct effect of early-life SES, indicating that women from higher-SES family background had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower-SES families. Additionally, early-life SES has a positive indirect effect on breast cancer via women's adult SES and age at first birth. Were it not for their higher SES in adulthood and delayed childbearing, women from higher-SES families of origin would have had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower-SES families. Yet, early-life SES is associated positively with adult SES and age at first birth, and women's higher adult SES and delayed childbearing are related to higher breast cancer prevalence.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2015

This article was originally published in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behaviora... more This article was originally published in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, published by Elsevier, and the attached copy is provided by Elsevier for the author's benefit and for the benefit of the author's institution, for non-commercial research and educational use including without limitation use in instruction at your institution, sending it to specific colleagues who you know, and providing a copy to your institution's administrator. All other uses, reproduction and distribution, including without limitation commercial reprints, selling or licensing copies or access, or posting on open internet sites, your personal or institution's website or repository, are prohibited. For exceptions, permission may be sought for such use through Elsevier's

Journal of health and social behavior, 2014

Using the 1957-1993 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we explore reciprocal association... more Using the 1957-1993 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we explore reciprocal associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and body mass in the 1939 birth cohort of non-Hispanic white men and women. We integrate the fundamental cause theory, the gender relations theory, and the life course perspective to analyze gender differences in (a) the ways that early socioeconomic disadvantage launches bidirectional associations of body mass and SES and (b) the extent to which these mutually reinforcing effects generate socioeconomic disparities in midlife body mass. Using structural equation modeling, we find that socioeconomic disadvantage at age 18 is related to higher body mass index and a greater risk of obesity at age 54, and that this relationship is significantly stronger for women than men. Moreover, women are more adversely affected by two mechanisms underlying the focal association: the obesogenic effect of socioeconomic disadvantage and the SES-impeding effect of obesit...

Social Science Research, 2014

Using the 1957-2004 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we apply structural equation mode... more Using the 1957-2004 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we apply structural equation modeling to examine gender-specific effects of family socioeconomic status (SES) at age 18 on body weight at age 65. We further explore SES and health behaviors over the life course as mechanisms linking family background and later-life body weight. We find that early-life socioeconomic disadvantage is related to higher body weight at age 65 and a steeper weight increase between midlife and late life. These adverse effects are stronger among women than men. Significant mediators of the effect of parents' SES include adolescent body mass (especially among women) as well as exercise and SES in midlife. Yet, consistent with the critical period mechanism, the effect of early-life SES on late-life body weight persists net of all mediating variables. This study expands current understanding of life-course mechanisms that contribute to obesity and increase biological vulnerability to social disadvantage.

Social Science & Medicine, 2013

Using the 1957-2011 data from 3,682 White non-Hispanic women (297 incident breast cancer cases) i... more Using the 1957-2011 data from 3,682 White non-Hispanic women (297 incident breast cancer cases) in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, United States, we explore the effect of occupation in 1975 (at age 36) on breast cancer incidence up to age 72. Our study is motivated by the paradoxical association between higher-status occupations and elevated breast cancer risk, which presents a challenge to the consistent health advantage of higher social class. We found that women in professional occupations had 72%-122% and women in managerial occupations had 57%-89% higher risk of a breast cancer diagnosis than housewives and women in lower-status occupations. We explored an estrogen-related pathway (reproductive history, health behaviors, and life-course estrogen cycle) as well as a social stress pathway (occupational experiences) as potential explanations for the effect of higher-status occupations. The elevated risk of breast cancer among professional women was partly explained by estrogen-related variables but remained large and statistically significant. The association between managerial occupations and breast cancer incidence was fully explained by job authority defined as control over others' work. Exercising job authority was related to higher breast cancer risk (HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.18), especially with longer duration of holding the professional/managerial job. We suggest that the assertion of job authority by women in the 1970s involved stressful interpersonal experiences that may have promoted breast cancer development via prolonged dysregulation of the glucocorticoid system and exposure of the breast tissue to adverse effects of chronically elevated cortisol. Our study emphasizes complex biosocial pathways through which women's gendered occupational experiences become embodied and drive forward physiological repercussions.

Research on Aging, 2011

Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. ... more Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. The authors explore direct and indirect effects of early-life socioeconomic status (SES) on breast cancer prevalence in later life. Using 50-year data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 4,275) and structural equation modeling, the authors found a negative direct effect of early-life SES, indicating that women from higher SES family backgrounds had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower SES families. Additionally, early-life SES has a positive indirect effect on breast cancer via women’s adult SES and age at first birth. Were it not for their higher SES in adulthood and delayed childbearing, women from higher SES families of origin would have had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower SES families. Yet early-life SES is associated positively with adult SES and age at first birth, and women’s higher adult SES and delayed childbearing are related to high...

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2014

Objectives. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we examine (a) how socioeconomic st... more Objectives. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we examine (a) how socioeconomic status (SES) at age 18 affects all-cause mortality at ages 54-72, and (b) whether the effect of early-life SES is consistent with the critical period, accumulation of risks, social mobility, and pathway models. We also explore gender differences in the effect of early-life SES and life-course mechanisms.

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2006

Objectives. Few studies have identified the distinctive aspects of singlehood that are distressin... more Objectives. Few studies have identified the distinctive aspects of singlehood that are distressing to older adults. The objectives of our study were: (a) to examine whether divorced, widowed, and never-married older adults differed in their experiences of single strain, an indicator of chronic stressors associated with being unmarried; and (b) to assess whether the marital status differences we explored varied by gender and race. Methods. Using data from a subsample of 530 unmarried older adults and ordinary least squares regression, we estimated main and interactive effects of marital status, gender, and race on single strain. Results. Divorced and widowed persons reported higher single strain than never-married persons, although the magnitude of these effects varied considerably by race and gender. Never-married White women reported higher levels of single strain than their male counterparts. White widows and widowers exhibited higher single strain than widowed Black adults. Black...

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2007

Objectives. We examine the effects of gender, race, and socioeconomic status (SES) on perceptions... more Objectives. We examine the effects of gender, race, and socioeconomic status (SES) on perceptions of body weight among older adults and the role of status-based differences in BMI in these processes. Methods. Data are derived from face-to-face interviews with 1,164 adults aged 65 years and older in the District of Columbia and two counties in Maryland in 2000-2001. Results. With ''perceived appropriate weight'' as the comparison group, multinomial logistic regression analyses indicate that white adults, women, and high-SES individuals are more likely than black adults, men, and low-SES individuals to describe themselves as overweight or obese. However, these disparities are observed only after statistically adjusting for race, gender, and SES disparities in BMI. Moreover, the positive effect of SES on the likelihood of reporting overweight or obese perceptions is strongest among black women. Among low SES individuals, white women are more likely than men and black women to describe themselves as obese (relative to the ''perceived appropriate weight'' category). Discussion. Our observations underscore the importance of taking SES contingencies into account when exploring race-gender differences in perceived body weight. This study further contributes to the literature by documenting the important suppression patterns associated with race, gender, and SES differences in BMI. I NDIVIDUALS maintain different perceptions about their own body weight. Some describe their weight as appropriate, whereas others feel as though they could or should lose a few (or many) pounds; others report the desire to add to their body weight. The central aim of this article is to examine whether there are systematic social status variations in these perceptions. Although the health effects of body mass index (BMI) and its social distribution are well documented, our research contributes to existing knowledge by documenting the intersection of gender, race, and social class-among a socioeconomically diverse sample of older adults-and the ways in which these dimensions of social stratification shape perceptions of body weight in late life. Specifically, we asked: Do women and men differ in their perceptions of their body weight? If so, do these differences vary by race and socioeconomic status (SES) net of relative body weight? The prevalence of people with high BMI scores (.30) has risen sharply in recent years (Hedley et al., 2004; McTigue, Garrett, & Popkin, 2002). Estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics (2003) indicate that the percentage of obese American adults increased from 13% to 30% between 1980 and 2000. Recent surveys document that roughly 34% of adult women and 28% of adult men are obese. Those rates increase to 62% and 67% for women and men, respectively, if one combines overweight and obese groups. Moreover, African Americans have a higher rate of obesity compared to other racial/ethnic groups in the United States (Denney, Krueger, Rogers, & Boardman, 2004; Flegal, Carroll, Ogden, & Johnson, 2002). The high level of obesity has emerged as a public health issue because of the associated risks of chronic diseases, functional impairments, mortality, and psychosocial difficulties (

Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2013

Using the 1993-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 5,218), we examine prostate ... more Using the 1993-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 5,218), we examine prostate cancer screening, mortality after the diagnosis, and health behaviors as potential mechanisms explaining the paradoxical association between men’s higher education and higher prostate cancer risk. Our study combines within-cohort longitudinal hazard models predicting a prostate cancer diagnosis with Monte Carlo simulations estimating the joint effects of socioeconomic differences in prostate cancer screening and mortality after the diagnosis. Our findings strongly suggest that higher utilization of prostate cancer screening and lower mortality after the diagnosis are important explanations for higher prostate rates among more educated men. In addition to applying an innovative method to the issues of prostate cancer incidence and survival, our results have potentially important implications for the current debate about the utility of prostate cancer screening as well as for accurate pred...

Journal of Aging and Health, 2011

Objectives: We examine (a) how breast cancer onset and survival are affected by various dimension... more Objectives: We examine (a) how breast cancer onset and survival are affected by various dimensions of early-life socioeconomic status (SES) and (b) the extent to which women’s characteristics in adulthood mediate the associations between early-life conditions and breast cancer. Method: We apply Cox regression models and a decomposition analysis to the data from the 4,275 women in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Results: Higher levels of mothers’ education and early-life family income were associated with a greater risk of breast cancer incidence. The effect of mothers’ education was mediated by women’s adult SES and reproductive behaviors. Fathers’ education was related negatively to breast cancer mortality, yet this effect was fully mediated by women’s own education. Discussion: This study identifies mechanisms linking early-life social environment to breast cancer onset and mortality. The findings emphasize the role of social factors in breast cancer incidence and survival.

Journal of Aging and Health, 2012

Objectives: This study examines the association between early-life socioeconomic status (SES) at ... more Objectives: 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 sho...

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2006

... 2000; Taylor, Chatters, and Levin 2004), religious consolation (Ferraro and Kelley-Moore 2000... more ... 2000; Taylor, Chatters, and Levin 2004), religious consolation (Ferraro and Kelley-Moore 2000 ... more likely to experience unfair treatment or discrimination (Kessler, Mickelson, and Williams 1999 ... are critical personal resources in stress and mental health processes (Pearlin 1999 ...

American Journal of Men's Health, 2007

Using a sample of 540 siblings and twins from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the U... more Using a sample of 540 siblings and twins from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, this study examines the relationship between the age at which men become biological fathers and their subsequent health. The analysis includes both between-family models that treat brothers as independent observations and within-family models that account for unobserved genetic and early-life environmental endowments shared by brothers within families. Findings indicate that age at first birth has a positive, linear effect on men's health, and this relationship is not explained by the confounding influences of unobserved early-life characteristics. However, the effect of age at first birth on fathers' health is explained by men's socioeconomic and family statuses. Whereas most research linking birth timing to specific diseases focuses narrowly on biological mechanisms among mothers, this study demonstrates the importance of reproductive decisions for men's h...

Advances in Life Course Research, 2008

Little is known about the specific ways that young-old men and women cope with marital disruption... more Little is known about the specific ways that young-old men and women cope with marital disruption. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we examine: (1) the extent to which widowhood and divorce in one's 50s or early 60s affect depressive symptoms and alcohol use; and (2) the extent to which coping strategies and personality traits protect against or elevate distress levels. We find that widowed men and women report elevated depressive symptoms and these effects persist more than 2 years after the loss. By contrast, divorce does not affect depressive symptoms, yet does have a large effect on men's alcohol use. Not one coping style mediates and very few coping styles moderate the effect of marital disruption on mental health. The adverse psychological implications of marital disruption may reflect the fact that for young-old adults

Social Forces, 2013

Using the 1957-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I integrate the gender relations ... more Using the 1957-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I integrate the gender relations theory, a life course perspective, and a biosocial stress perspective to explore the effect of women's job authority in 1975 (at age 36) and 1993 (at age 54) on breast cancer incidence up to 2011. Findings indicate that women with the authority to hire, fire, and influence others' pay had a significantly higher risk of a breast cancer diagnosis over the next 30 years compared to housewives and employed women with no job authority. Because job authority conferred the highest risk of breast cancer for women who also spent more hours dealing with people at work in 1975, I suggest that the assertion of job authority by women in the 1970s involved stressful interpersonal experiences, such as social isolation and negative social interactions, that may have increased the risk of breast cancer via prolonged dysregulation of the glucocorticoid system and exposure of breast tissue to the adverse effects of chronically elevated cortisol. This study contributes to sociology by emphasizing gendered biosocial pathways through which women's occupational experiences become embodied and drive forward physiological repercussions.

Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 2010

Using two waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, I compare cha... more Using two waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, I compare changes in personal growth over a 10 year period among cancer survivors and individuals without cancer. Moreover, I examine joint effects of age and cohort on personal growth after a cancer diagnosis. The theoretical framework of this study integrates impairment, resilience, and thriving perspectives. Findings reveal that, although personal growth declines with age for all individuals regardless of cohort and cancer status, cancer slows the decline in personal growth with age in 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s birth cohorts, yet accelerates the age-related decline in the 1920s cohort. I argue that a sociological perspective can enhance our understanding of the interplay of developmental and sociocultural influences on psychological adjustment to cancer. Seemingly idiosyncratic psychological reactions to cancer partly reflect macrolevel processes represented by cohort differences.

Using longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS, 1993 to 2004) and the Nationa... more Using longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS, 1993 to 2004) and the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH, 1992 to 2001), we estimate confirmatory factor models to assess the temporal stability and factorial structure of psychological well-being (of PWB), as assessed using Carol Ryff's six-factor model (Ryff 1989a; Ryff 1989b). The WLS participants were Wisconsin high school

Research on Aging, 2012

Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. ... more Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. We explore direct and indirect effects of early-life socioeconomic status (SES) on breast cancer prevalence in later life. Using 50-year data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (N = 4,275) and structural equation modeling, we found a negative direct effect of early-life SES, indicating that women from higher-SES family background had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower-SES families. Additionally, early-life SES has a positive indirect effect on breast cancer via women's adult SES and age at first birth. Were it not for their higher SES in adulthood and delayed childbearing, women from higher-SES families of origin would have had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower-SES families. Yet, early-life SES is associated positively with adult SES and age at first birth, and women's higher adult SES and delayed childbearing are related to higher breast cancer prevalence.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2015

This article was originally published in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behaviora... more This article was originally published in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, published by Elsevier, and the attached copy is provided by Elsevier for the author's benefit and for the benefit of the author's institution, for non-commercial research and educational use including without limitation use in instruction at your institution, sending it to specific colleagues who you know, and providing a copy to your institution's administrator. All other uses, reproduction and distribution, including without limitation commercial reprints, selling or licensing copies or access, or posting on open internet sites, your personal or institution's website or repository, are prohibited. For exceptions, permission may be sought for such use through Elsevier's

Journal of health and social behavior, 2014

Using the 1957-1993 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we explore reciprocal association... more Using the 1957-1993 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we explore reciprocal associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and body mass in the 1939 birth cohort of non-Hispanic white men and women. We integrate the fundamental cause theory, the gender relations theory, and the life course perspective to analyze gender differences in (a) the ways that early socioeconomic disadvantage launches bidirectional associations of body mass and SES and (b) the extent to which these mutually reinforcing effects generate socioeconomic disparities in midlife body mass. Using structural equation modeling, we find that socioeconomic disadvantage at age 18 is related to higher body mass index and a greater risk of obesity at age 54, and that this relationship is significantly stronger for women than men. Moreover, women are more adversely affected by two mechanisms underlying the focal association: the obesogenic effect of socioeconomic disadvantage and the SES-impeding effect of obesit...

Social Science Research, 2014

Using the 1957-2004 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we apply structural equation mode... more Using the 1957-2004 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we apply structural equation modeling to examine gender-specific effects of family socioeconomic status (SES) at age 18 on body weight at age 65. We further explore SES and health behaviors over the life course as mechanisms linking family background and later-life body weight. We find that early-life socioeconomic disadvantage is related to higher body weight at age 65 and a steeper weight increase between midlife and late life. These adverse effects are stronger among women than men. Significant mediators of the effect of parents' SES include adolescent body mass (especially among women) as well as exercise and SES in midlife. Yet, consistent with the critical period mechanism, the effect of early-life SES on late-life body weight persists net of all mediating variables. This study expands current understanding of life-course mechanisms that contribute to obesity and increase biological vulnerability to social disadvantage.

Social Science & Medicine, 2013

Using the 1957-2011 data from 3,682 White non-Hispanic women (297 incident breast cancer cases) i... more Using the 1957-2011 data from 3,682 White non-Hispanic women (297 incident breast cancer cases) in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, United States, we explore the effect of occupation in 1975 (at age 36) on breast cancer incidence up to age 72. Our study is motivated by the paradoxical association between higher-status occupations and elevated breast cancer risk, which presents a challenge to the consistent health advantage of higher social class. We found that women in professional occupations had 72%-122% and women in managerial occupations had 57%-89% higher risk of a breast cancer diagnosis than housewives and women in lower-status occupations. We explored an estrogen-related pathway (reproductive history, health behaviors, and life-course estrogen cycle) as well as a social stress pathway (occupational experiences) as potential explanations for the effect of higher-status occupations. The elevated risk of breast cancer among professional women was partly explained by estrogen-related variables but remained large and statistically significant. The association between managerial occupations and breast cancer incidence was fully explained by job authority defined as control over others' work. Exercising job authority was related to higher breast cancer risk (HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.18), especially with longer duration of holding the professional/managerial job. We suggest that the assertion of job authority by women in the 1970s involved stressful interpersonal experiences that may have promoted breast cancer development via prolonged dysregulation of the glucocorticoid system and exposure of the breast tissue to adverse effects of chronically elevated cortisol. Our study emphasizes complex biosocial pathways through which women's gendered occupational experiences become embodied and drive forward physiological repercussions.

Research on Aging, 2011

Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. ... more Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. The authors explore direct and indirect effects of early-life socioeconomic status (SES) on breast cancer prevalence in later life. Using 50-year data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 4,275) and structural equation modeling, the authors found a negative direct effect of early-life SES, indicating that women from higher SES family backgrounds had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower SES families. Additionally, early-life SES has a positive indirect effect on breast cancer via women’s adult SES and age at first birth. Were it not for their higher SES in adulthood and delayed childbearing, women from higher SES families of origin would have had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower SES families. Yet early-life SES is associated positively with adult SES and age at first birth, and women’s higher adult SES and delayed childbearing are related to high...

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2014

Objectives. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we examine (a) how socioeconomic st... more Objectives. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we examine (a) how socioeconomic status (SES) at age 18 affects all-cause mortality at ages 54-72, and (b) whether the effect of early-life SES is consistent with the critical period, accumulation of risks, social mobility, and pathway models. We also explore gender differences in the effect of early-life SES and life-course mechanisms.

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2006

Objectives. Few studies have identified the distinctive aspects of singlehood that are distressin... more Objectives. Few studies have identified the distinctive aspects of singlehood that are distressing to older adults. The objectives of our study were: (a) to examine whether divorced, widowed, and never-married older adults differed in their experiences of single strain, an indicator of chronic stressors associated with being unmarried; and (b) to assess whether the marital status differences we explored varied by gender and race. Methods. Using data from a subsample of 530 unmarried older adults and ordinary least squares regression, we estimated main and interactive effects of marital status, gender, and race on single strain. Results. Divorced and widowed persons reported higher single strain than never-married persons, although the magnitude of these effects varied considerably by race and gender. Never-married White women reported higher levels of single strain than their male counterparts. White widows and widowers exhibited higher single strain than widowed Black adults. Black...

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2007

Objectives. We examine the effects of gender, race, and socioeconomic status (SES) on perceptions... more Objectives. We examine the effects of gender, race, and socioeconomic status (SES) on perceptions of body weight among older adults and the role of status-based differences in BMI in these processes. Methods. Data are derived from face-to-face interviews with 1,164 adults aged 65 years and older in the District of Columbia and two counties in Maryland in 2000-2001. Results. With ''perceived appropriate weight'' as the comparison group, multinomial logistic regression analyses indicate that white adults, women, and high-SES individuals are more likely than black adults, men, and low-SES individuals to describe themselves as overweight or obese. However, these disparities are observed only after statistically adjusting for race, gender, and SES disparities in BMI. Moreover, the positive effect of SES on the likelihood of reporting overweight or obese perceptions is strongest among black women. Among low SES individuals, white women are more likely than men and black women to describe themselves as obese (relative to the ''perceived appropriate weight'' category). Discussion. Our observations underscore the importance of taking SES contingencies into account when exploring race-gender differences in perceived body weight. This study further contributes to the literature by documenting the important suppression patterns associated with race, gender, and SES differences in BMI. I NDIVIDUALS maintain different perceptions about their own body weight. Some describe their weight as appropriate, whereas others feel as though they could or should lose a few (or many) pounds; others report the desire to add to their body weight. The central aim of this article is to examine whether there are systematic social status variations in these perceptions. Although the health effects of body mass index (BMI) and its social distribution are well documented, our research contributes to existing knowledge by documenting the intersection of gender, race, and social class-among a socioeconomically diverse sample of older adults-and the ways in which these dimensions of social stratification shape perceptions of body weight in late life. Specifically, we asked: Do women and men differ in their perceptions of their body weight? If so, do these differences vary by race and socioeconomic status (SES) net of relative body weight? The prevalence of people with high BMI scores (.30) has risen sharply in recent years (Hedley et al., 2004; McTigue, Garrett, & Popkin, 2002). Estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics (2003) indicate that the percentage of obese American adults increased from 13% to 30% between 1980 and 2000. Recent surveys document that roughly 34% of adult women and 28% of adult men are obese. Those rates increase to 62% and 67% for women and men, respectively, if one combines overweight and obese groups. Moreover, African Americans have a higher rate of obesity compared to other racial/ethnic groups in the United States (Denney, Krueger, Rogers, & Boardman, 2004; Flegal, Carroll, Ogden, & Johnson, 2002). The high level of obesity has emerged as a public health issue because of the associated risks of chronic diseases, functional impairments, mortality, and psychosocial difficulties (

Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2013

Using the 1993-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 5,218), we examine prostate ... more Using the 1993-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 5,218), we examine prostate cancer screening, mortality after the diagnosis, and health behaviors as potential mechanisms explaining the paradoxical association between men’s higher education and higher prostate cancer risk. Our study combines within-cohort longitudinal hazard models predicting a prostate cancer diagnosis with Monte Carlo simulations estimating the joint effects of socioeconomic differences in prostate cancer screening and mortality after the diagnosis. Our findings strongly suggest that higher utilization of prostate cancer screening and lower mortality after the diagnosis are important explanations for higher prostate rates among more educated men. In addition to applying an innovative method to the issues of prostate cancer incidence and survival, our results have potentially important implications for the current debate about the utility of prostate cancer screening as well as for accurate pred...

Journal of Aging and Health, 2011

Objectives: We examine (a) how breast cancer onset and survival are affected by various dimension... more Objectives: We examine (a) how breast cancer onset and survival are affected by various dimensions of early-life socioeconomic status (SES) and (b) the extent to which women’s characteristics in adulthood mediate the associations between early-life conditions and breast cancer. Method: We apply Cox regression models and a decomposition analysis to the data from the 4,275 women in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Results: Higher levels of mothers’ education and early-life family income were associated with a greater risk of breast cancer incidence. The effect of mothers’ education was mediated by women’s adult SES and reproductive behaviors. Fathers’ education was related negatively to breast cancer mortality, yet this effect was fully mediated by women’s own education. Discussion: This study identifies mechanisms linking early-life social environment to breast cancer onset and mortality. The findings emphasize the role of social factors in breast cancer incidence and survival.

Journal of Aging and Health, 2012

Objectives: This study examines the association between early-life socioeconomic status (SES) at ... more Objectives: 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 sho...

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2006

... 2000; Taylor, Chatters, and Levin 2004), religious consolation (Ferraro and Kelley-Moore 2000... more ... 2000; Taylor, Chatters, and Levin 2004), religious consolation (Ferraro and Kelley-Moore 2000 ... more likely to experience unfair treatment or discrimination (Kessler, Mickelson, and Williams 1999 ... are critical personal resources in stress and mental health processes (Pearlin 1999 ...

American Journal of Men's Health, 2007

Using a sample of 540 siblings and twins from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the U... more Using a sample of 540 siblings and twins from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, this study examines the relationship between the age at which men become biological fathers and their subsequent health. The analysis includes both between-family models that treat brothers as independent observations and within-family models that account for unobserved genetic and early-life environmental endowments shared by brothers within families. Findings indicate that age at first birth has a positive, linear effect on men's health, and this relationship is not explained by the confounding influences of unobserved early-life characteristics. However, the effect of age at first birth on fathers' health is explained by men's socioeconomic and family statuses. Whereas most research linking birth timing to specific diseases focuses narrowly on biological mechanisms among mothers, this study demonstrates the importance of reproductive decisions for men's h...

Advances in Life Course Research, 2008

Little is known about the specific ways that young-old men and women cope with marital disruption... more Little is known about the specific ways that young-old men and women cope with marital disruption. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we examine: (1) the extent to which widowhood and divorce in one's 50s or early 60s affect depressive symptoms and alcohol use; and (2) the extent to which coping strategies and personality traits protect against or elevate distress levels. We find that widowed men and women report elevated depressive symptoms and these effects persist more than 2 years after the loss. By contrast, divorce does not affect depressive symptoms, yet does have a large effect on men's alcohol use. Not one coping style mediates and very few coping styles moderate the effect of marital disruption on mental health. The adverse psychological implications of marital disruption may reflect the fact that for young-old adults

Social Forces, 2013

Using the 1957-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I integrate the gender relations ... more Using the 1957-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I integrate the gender relations theory, a life course perspective, and a biosocial stress perspective to explore the effect of women's job authority in 1975 (at age 36) and 1993 (at age 54) on breast cancer incidence up to 2011. Findings indicate that women with the authority to hire, fire, and influence others' pay had a significantly higher risk of a breast cancer diagnosis over the next 30 years compared to housewives and employed women with no job authority. Because job authority conferred the highest risk of breast cancer for women who also spent more hours dealing with people at work in 1975, I suggest that the assertion of job authority by women in the 1970s involved stressful interpersonal experiences, such as social isolation and negative social interactions, that may have increased the risk of breast cancer via prolonged dysregulation of the glucocorticoid system and exposure of breast tissue to the adverse effects of chronically elevated cortisol. This study contributes to sociology by emphasizing gendered biosocial pathways through which women's occupational experiences become embodied and drive forward physiological repercussions.

Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 2010

Using two waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, I compare cha... more Using two waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, I compare changes in personal growth over a 10 year period among cancer survivors and individuals without cancer. Moreover, I examine joint effects of age and cohort on personal growth after a cancer diagnosis. The theoretical framework of this study integrates impairment, resilience, and thriving perspectives. Findings reveal that, although personal growth declines with age for all individuals regardless of cohort and cancer status, cancer slows the decline in personal growth with age in 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s birth cohorts, yet accelerates the age-related decline in the 1920s cohort. I argue that a sociological perspective can enhance our understanding of the interplay of developmental and sociocultural influences on psychological adjustment to cancer. Seemingly idiosyncratic psychological reactions to cancer partly reflect macrolevel processes represented by cohort differences.

Using longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS, 1993 to 2004) and the Nationa... more Using longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS, 1993 to 2004) and the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH, 1992 to 2001), we estimate confirmatory factor models to assess the temporal stability and factorial structure of psychological well-being (of PWB), as assessed using Carol Ryff's six-factor model (Ryff 1989a; Ryff 1989b). The WLS participants were Wisconsin high school