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The association between material-psychological-behavioral framework of financial hardship and markers of inflammation: a cross-sectional study of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher cohort
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The association between material-psychological-behavioral framework of financial hardship and markers of inflammation: a cross-sectional study of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher cohort

Agus Surachman, Reginald Tucker-Seeley and David M. Almeida
BMC public health, v 23(1), 1845
21 Sep 2023
PMID: 37735377
url
https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2297527/v1View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0 Open
url
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16745-xView
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Life Sciences & Biomedicine Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Science & Technology
Background : Measures of financial hardship have been suggested to supplement traditional indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) to elucidate household economic well-being. This study formally tested the construct validity of financial hardship and examined its association with markers of inflammation. Methods : This study utilized data from the Midlife Development in the United States Refresher Study (MIDUS-R; Age = 23-76, 53.7% female, 71% white). Participants were divided into exploratory factor analysis (EFA; completed SAQs only; N = 2,243) and confirmatory factor analysis sample (CFA; completed SAQs and biomarker assessment; N = 863). Analysis was divided into three steps. First, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used to examine if the three-domain factor (material, psychological, and behavioral) is the best fitting model for financial hardship measures. Second, we conducted CFA to test the hypothesized three-factor measurement model of financial hardship. Third, we tested the association between domains and the general latent factor of financial hardship and inflammation (interleukin 6/IL6, c-reactive protein/CRP, and fibrinogen). Results : Results from EFA supported the three-domain model of financial hardship. The hypothesized three-domain measurement model fits well in a different sample within MIDUS-R. In the models adjusted for age and sex, higher material hardship was associated with elevated IL6, CRP, and fibrinogen, while higher behavioral hardship was associated with higher CRP. The association between the material domain and IL6 remained significant after adding body mass index, education, and race as additional covariates. The second-order financial hardship measurement model was associated with IL6, CRP, and fibrinogen, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, education, and race. Conclusion : Explicating the socioeconomic environment to include indicators of financial hardship can help researchers better understand the pathway between SES and the inflammation process, which may help elucidate pathways between SES and age-related chronic diseases associated with inflammation.

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5 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#10 Reduced Inequalities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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