Definition
Socioeconomic differentials in health are theorized to diverge, converge, or persist over the life course. To understand the mechanisms underlying these patterns, researchers have proposed three different theories: cumulative advantage/disadvantage theory (divergence), age-as-leveler theory (convergence), and persistent inequality theory (persistence). The cumulative advantage theory argues that SES differences increase with age, creating a wider socioeconomic status (SES) gap in health among older adults compared to younger adults (Ross and Wu 1996; see “Theory of Cumulative Disadvantage/Advantage”). On the contrary, the age-as-leveler theory posits that SES differentials are small in early adulthood, large in middle age, and...
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Zhu, H., Gu, D. (2022). Socioeconomic Differentials in Health: Divergence, Convergence, and Persistent Inequality Theories. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M.E. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_910-2
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Socioeconomic Differentials in Health: Divergence, Convergence, and Persistent Inequality Theories- Published:
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Socioeconomic Differentials in Health: Divergence, Convergence, and Persistent Inequality Theories- Published:
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