TY - JOUR T1 - Social status, risky health behaviors, and diabetes in middle-aged and older adults. JF - J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci Y1 - 2006 A1 - Linda A. Wray A1 - Duane F. Alwin A1 - Ryan J McCammon A1 - Manning, Timothy A1 - Best, Latrica E. KW - Aged KW - Body Mass Index KW - Diabetes Mellitus KW - Female KW - Follow-Up Studies KW - Health Behavior KW - Humans KW - Incidence KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Prevalence KW - Risk-Taking KW - Social Behavior KW - Social Class KW - Surveys and Questionnaires AB -

OBJECTIVE: This article investigates: (a) how social status influences diabetes prevalence and incidence; (b) how risky health behaviors contribute to the prediction of incident diabetes; (c) if the effects of health behaviors mediate the effects of social status on incident diabetes; and (d) if these effects differ in midlife and older age.

METHODS: We examined nationally representative data from the 1992/1993-1998 panels of the Health and Retirement Study for middle-aged and older adults using logistic regression analyses.

RESULT: The odds of prevalent diabetes were higher for people of older age, men, Black adults, and Latino adults. Higher early-life social status (e.g., parental schooling) and achieved social status (e.g., respondent schooling, economic resources) reduced the odds in both age groups. We observed similar patterns for incident diabetes in midlife but not in older age. Risky health behaviors--particularly obesity--increased the odds of incident diabetes in both age groups independent of social status. The increased odds of incident diabetes in midlife persisted for Black and Latino adults net of other social status factors.

DISCUSSION: Risky health behaviors are key predictors of incident diabetes in both age groups. Economic resources also play an important protective role in incident diabetes in midlife but not in older age.

PB - 61B VL - 61 IS - 6 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17114308?dopt=Abstract U4 - Health Insurance/mortality/health behaviors/diabetes ER -