Perspectives on the Future of the Sociology of Aging (2012) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
7 The Loyal Opposition: A Commentary on "Opportunities and Challenges in the Study of Biosocial Dynamics in Healthy Aging"
7 The Loyal Opposition: A Commentary on "Opportunities and Challenges in the Study of Biosocial Dynamics in Healthy Aging"
Pages 144-154
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 144... ...
Allostatic load has been an important guiding framework for much of the biosocial research efforts; correspondingly, it has been widely critiqued. Because the criticisms are well rehearsed -- although often ignored in practice -- we only briefly discuss some of the vulnerabilities with its application "on the ground." These considerations lead us to argue that it is time for our biodemographic investigations to incorporate and test the kinds of theoretical scaffolding that sociology and evolutionary biology can provide.
|
From page 145... ...
For example, historical data for the United States reveal few social class differences in child mortality in the late 19th century (e.g., the children of physicians had death rates close to the national average) , but, as health beliefs changed and knowledge of hygienic practices spread during subsequent decades, socioeconomic 7-2
|
From page 146... ...
Other measurement issues range from determining how, when -- or how often -- to measure biomarkers to how to measure environmental influences, especially past environmental influences. Evidence linking social conditions and biomarkers is not unambiguous.
|
From page 147... ...
and Taiwanese data provides little encouragement. We examined the relation between two components of social relationships -- perceived support and social integration -- and six inflammatory markers.
|
From page 148... ...
Yet, social disparities in neuroendocrine dysregulation were negligible in both sexes. If social disparities in allostatic load and in health outcomes reflect a differential burden of stress, it seems surprisingly to find so little social variation in these stress hormones, although we recognize the many measurement issues surrounding the collection of these markers.
|
From page 149... ...
One might add assay comparability across time and place, the need for a developmental approach that incorporates exposure and health across the life course, and the various logistical and financial hurdles involved in incorporating well-designed biomarker collection in population surveys. The definition and measurement of "stress" is a particularly thorny problem (Cohen, Kessler, and Underwood, 1997; Monroe, 2008)
|
From page 150... ...
313) : Despite a justified appeal for international comparisons of social gradients in health that integrate biological mechanisms, such undertakings are generally unable to establish whether divergent findings reflect true variability in the physiological pathways linking SES to health across countries, regions, and time periods; differences across data sets in measurement error or definitions of biomarkers, SES and health outcomes; differences in analytic strategies; or differences in sample size.
|
From page 151... ...
. Has the relation between income inequality and life expectancy disappeared?
|
From page 152... ...
. The associations between socioeconomic status, allostatic load and measures of health in older Taiwanese persons: Taiwan Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study.
|
From page 153... ...
. Social relationships, gender, and allostatic load across two age cohorts.
|
From page 154... ...
. Social linkages to biological markers of health among the elderly.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.