Socioeconomic status,psychosocial factors and health in urban Guyana

Individuals of higher socioeconomic status live longer and enjoy better physical and mental health relative to individuals of lower social status. Socioeconomic status differences in health status persist over time. This paper examines the association between socioeconomic status, psychosocial factors, and health in Georgetown, Guyana. The major causes of death are cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease; life expectancy at birth is 67.3 years for males and 72.3 years for females; and the infant mortality rate is 44 per 1000 live births. Data for the study were drawn from a probability sample of 654 adult residents of Georgetown. A significant inverse association was found between formal education and morbidity for four of the six measures of health status. The authors investigated the extent to which self-concept, health behaviors, stress, and social ties are linked to health status and socioeconomic status, and can explain socioeconomic status differences in health status. Psychosocial factors, especially the self-concept measures of self-esteem and mastery, were found to play a moderate role in accounting for educational differences in health status.