Socioeconomic Status, Perceived Control, and Inflammation Among Cancer Survivors
Background: Recent research suggests that perceived control, or the belief that one has control over one's life outcomes, may mediate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and inflammation. However, little is known about whether this association persists among cancer survivors. The goals of this study were three-fold: 1) to examine SES differences in perceived control, 2) to test SES differences in inflammation, and 3) to examine differences in inflammation based on perceived control.
Method: Data are from 298 cancer survivors (87.54% white; Mean age = 63.6) who participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study wave 2 and Refresher. SES was measured by participant education, and the two markers of inflammation were interleukin-6 (IL-6) and c-reactive protein (CRP). Hypotheses were tested using a series of independent sample t-tests.
Results: Relative to those with bachelor's degrees, participants with lower education showed lower perceived control and elevated inflammation. Furthermore, lower perceived control was associated with elevated inflammation.
Discussion: Our findings provide early evidence that perceived control may mediate the association between SES and inflammation among cancer survivors.
Background: Recent research suggests that perceived control, or the belief that one has control over one's life outcomes, may mediate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and inflammation. However, little is known about whether this association persists among cancer survivors. The goals of this study were three-fold: 1) to examine SES differences in perceived control, 2) to test SES differences in inflammation, and 3) to examine differences in inflammation based on perceived control.
Method: Data are from 298 cancer survivors (87.54% white; Mean age = 63.6) who participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study wave 2 and Refresher. SES was measured by participant education, and the two markers of inflammation were interleukin-6 (IL-6) and c-reactive protein (CRP). Hypotheses were tested using a series of independent sample t-tests.
Results: Relative to those with bachelor's degrees, participants with lower education showed lower perceived control and elevated inflammation. Furthermore, lower perceived control was associated with elevated inflammation.
Discussion: Our findings provide early evidence that perceived control may mediate the association between SES and inflammation among cancer survivors.