Alternate models of sibling status effects on health in later life

Abstract

Although siblings are thought to be influential in child development, little is known about the influence of sibling status on the health of older adults. Using structural equation modeling, the authors created and tested a series of models with data from a sample (N = 3,968) of 1957 high school graduates from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The results indicated that socioeconomic status of origin, adolescent aptitude, and educational attainment did have significant total effects on health in later life, but sibling status did not. Adults who grew up in families of higher socioeconomic status and who had greater aptitude in high school attained more education, and this advantage, in turn, led to better health in later life. Although the final model was cross-validated, it was not equally plausible for men and women.