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Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Well-Being Predict Cross-Time Change in Glycosylated Hemoglobin in Older Women Without Diabetes

From the Department of Psychology (V.K.T., C.D.R.) and Institute on Aging (G.D.L., B.H.S., C.D.R.), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Office of Population Research (B.H.S.), Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Vera K. Tsenkova, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, W. J. Brogden Hall, 1202 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706-1696. E-mail: tsenkova{at}wisc.edu

Objective: To investigate whether socioeconomic status and psychological well-being (eudaimonic and hedonic aspects) predicted nondiabetic levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) over time, after adjusting for covariates and baseline level of HbA_1c.

Methods: These questions were investigated with a longitudinal sample (n = 97; age = 61–91 years) of older women without diabetes. Socioeconomic status, well-being, and health behaviors were assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Fasting blood samples for assays of HbA_1c were obtained before 7 AM during the respondents’ overnight stay at the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All measurements were obtained at baseline and 2-year follow-up.

Results: Regression analyses showed that higher income and positive affect predicted lower levels of HbA_1c, after controlling for baseline HbA_1c and health factors. Additionally, three well-being measures (purpose in life, personal growth, and positive affect) moderated the relationship between income and HbA_1c.

Conclusion: These results suggest that psychological well-being and socioeconomic status interact in important ways in influencing nondiabetic glucose metabolism.

Key Words: eudaimonic well-being • hedonic well-being • socioeconomic status • income • glycosylated hemoglobin

Abbreviations: HbA_1c = glycosylated hemoglobin; SES = socioeconomic status; MASQ = Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire; GCRC = General Clinical Research Center; WHR = waist-to-hip ratio.