Social Integration, Daily Discrimination, and Biological Markers of Health in Mid- and Later Life: Does Self-Esteem Play an Intermediary Role?

Jeffrey E Stokes

doi:10.1093/geroni/igaa026

Social Integration, Daily Discrimination, and Biological Markers of Health in Mid- and Later Life: Does Self-Esteem Play an Intermediary Role?

Innov Aging. 2020 Jul 6;4(4):igaa026. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaa026. eCollection 2020.

Author

Jeffrey E Stokes¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston.

Abstract

Background and objectives: This cross-sectional study examines associations of social integration and daily discrimination with 4 biological markers of inflammation and cardiovascular health and tests whether self-esteem may mediate any of these effects.

Research design and methods: Data came from 746 participants of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher (2011-2014) and MIDUS Refresher Biomarker Project (2012-2016). Structural equation modeling estimated direct and indirect associations of social integration and daily discrimination with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6.

Results: Social integration and daily discrimination were both significantly associated with self-esteem, which was in turn associated with HbA1c, HDL, and interleukin-6 levels. Social integration was indirectly associated with HbA1c, HDL, and interleukin-6 via self-esteem. Daily discrimination was directly associated with HbA1c, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 and was indirectly associated with HDL and interleukin-6 via self-esteem.

Discussion and implications: Findings identify social correlates of inflammation and cardiovascular risk and suggest that self-esteem may serve as a pathway for effects. Overall, results were somewhat mixed: Daily discrimination was directly associated with both self-esteem and 3 of the 4 biological markers of health; however, although social integration was strongly associated with self-esteem, it was only weakly and indirectly associated with biological health markers. Moreover, the indirect effects of daily discrimination on the biomarker outcomes-while significant-were notably smaller than its direct effects. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed, including the need for further study of self-esteem and physical health across mid- and later life.

Keywords: Emotion; Health; Psychosocial; Well-being.