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Citation

Bauldry, Shawn; Shanahan, Michael J.; Boardman, Jason D.; Miech, Richard A.; & Macmillan, Ross (2012). A Life Course Model of Self-Rated Health through Adolescence and Young Adulthood. Social Science & Medicine, 75(7), 1311-1320. PMCID: PMC4297471

Abstract

This paper proposes and tests a life course model of self-rated health (SRH) extending from late childhood to young adulthood, drawing on three waves of panel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Very little research has examined SRH during the early decades, or whether and how these self-assessments reflect experiences in the family of origin. Background characteristics (parental education, income, and family structure), parental health conditions (asthma, diabetes, obesity, migraines), and early health challenges (physical abuse, presence of a disability, and parental alcoholism and smoking) predict SRH from adolescence to young adulthood. These experiences in the family-of-origin are substantially mediated by the young person’s health and health behaviors (as indicated by obesity, depression, smoking, drinking, and inactivity), although direct effects remain (especially for early health challenges). Associations between SRH and these mediators (especially obesity) strengthen with age. In turn, efforts to promote healthy behaviors in young adulthood, after the completion of secondary school, may be especially strategic in the promotion of health in later adulthood.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.017

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2012

Journal Title

Social Science & Medicine

Author(s)

Bauldry, Shawn
Shanahan, Michael J.
Boardman, Jason D.
Miech, Richard A.
Macmillan, Ross

PMCID

PMC4297471

ORCiD

Bauldry - 0000-0002-6679-3125