PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Shui, Ailun
AU  - Berg, Gerard J. van den
AU  - Mierau, Jochen O.
AU  - Viluma, Laura
TI  - Lifetime Trajectories and Drivers of Socioeconomic Health Disparities
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0225-14125R2
DP  - 2025 Dec 08
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 0225-14125R2
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/12/02/jhr.0225-14125R2.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/12/02/jhr.0225-14125R2.full
AB  - We investigate lifetime socioeconomic health disparities through longitudinal biomarkers from the Dutch Lifelines cohort study and biobank. By constructing an allostatic load index from 12 biomarkers, we analyze the dynamics of health and its association with socioeconomic status (SES) over the life cycle. Our findings reveal that health risks linked to lower SES emerge early and precede chronic disease onset. Further analyses investigate the drivers of allostatic load and emphasize health behaviors. Our research highlights the need for early interventions targeting SES-related health disparities and provides new insights into the physiological pathways linking SES to long-term health outcomes.