Background Macroeconomic crises can exaggerate existing educational disparities in health. Few studies, however, have examined whether macroeconomic crises get under the skin to affect educational disparities in health-related biological processes. Purpose This study aimed to examine the effect of the economic recession of 2008 (i.e., Great Recession) on educational disparities in cardiometabolic risk and self-reported psychological distress. Methods Data were drawn from two subsamples of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study: the second wave of the MIDUS sample (pre-recession cohort, N = 985) and the refresher sample (post-recession cohort, N = 863). Educational attainment was categorized into high school education or less, some college, and bachelor’s degree or higher. Outcomes included metabolic syndrome, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6, as well as self-reported perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and financial distress. Results Results showed that having a bachelor’s degree or higher (compared to having a high school education or less) was more strongly associated with decreased metabolic syndrome symptoms in the post-recession cohort than the pre-recession cohort, above and beyond demographic, health, and behavioral covariates. These findings did not extend to systemic inflammation or psychological distress. Conclusions Our findings suggest that chronic macroeconomic stressors may widen the educational gap in physical health, particularly cardiometabolic health, by modifying biological and anthropometric risk factors implicated in metabolic syndrome.

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大衰退对心脏代谢健康教育差异的影响

背景 宏观经济危机会扩大现有的健康教育差距。然而，很少有研究考察宏观经济危机是否会深入影响与健康相关的生物过程中的教育差异。目的 本研究旨在检验 2008 年经济衰退（即大衰退）对心脏代谢风险和自我报告的心理困扰方面的教育差异的影响。方法 数据来自美国中年 (MIDUS) 研究的两个子样本：第二波 MIDUS 样本（经济衰退前队列，N = 985）和更新样本（经济衰退后队列，N = 863） . 受教育程度分为高中及以下、部分大专和本科及以上学历。结果包括代谢综合征、C-反应蛋白、和白细胞介素 6，以及自我报告的感知压力、抑郁症状和财务困境。结果结果表明，与经济衰退前的人群相比，拥有学士学位或更高学历（与接受过高中或以下教育相比）与经济衰退后人群代谢综合征症状减轻的相关性更强，超越了人口统计、健康、和行为协变量。这些发现并未扩展到全身炎症或心理困扰。结论 我们的研究结果表明，慢性宏观经济压力因素可能会通过改变与代谢综合征有关的生物学和人体测量学风险因素来扩大身体健康方面的教育差距，尤其是心脏代谢健康方面的差距。结果结果表明，与经济衰退前的人群相比，拥有学士学位或更高学历（与接受过高中或以下教育相比）与经济衰退后人群代谢综合征症状减轻的相关性更强，超越了人口统计、健康、和行为协变量。这些发现并未扩展到全身炎症或心理困扰。结论 我们的研究结果表明，慢性宏观经济压力因素可能会通过改变与代谢综合征有关的生物学和人体测量学风险因素来扩大身体健康方面的教育差距，尤其是心脏代谢健康方面的差距。结果结果表明，与经济衰退前的人群相比，拥有学士学位或更高学历（与接受过高中或以下教育相比）与经济衰退后人群代谢综合征症状减轻的相关性更强，超越了人口统计、健康、和行为协变量。这些发现并未扩展到全身炎症或心理困扰。结论 我们的研究结果表明，慢性宏观经济压力因素可能会通过改变与代谢综合征有关的生物学和人体测量学风险因素来扩大身体健康方面的教育差距，尤其是心脏代谢健康方面的差距。