Socioeconomic and Psychosocial Predictors of Interleukin-6 in the MIDUS National Sample

• Published in: Health psychology 2010-11, Vol.29 (6), p.626-635
• Main Authors: MOROZINK, Jennifer A, FRIEDMAN, Elliot M, COE, Christopher L, RYFF, Carol D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anxiety; Anxiety-Depression; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Depression; Education; Educational Attainment Level; Educational Status; Emotional States; Female; Human; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - blood; Inflammation - epidemiology; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukins; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Moderated; Mood disorders; Multivariate Analysis; Psychological wellbeing; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychosocial Factors; Regression Analysis; Socioeconomic Status; United States - epidemiology; Well Being; Wellbeing
• ISSN: 0278-6133; 1930-7810
• DOI: 10.1037/a0021360

To investigate whether psychosocial factors (i.e., depression, anxiety, and well-being) moderated educational gradients in interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels using data from the Survey of Midlife Development in the U.S. (MIDUS). The influences of educational attainment and psychosocial factors on IL-6 in middle aged and older adults were also examined. Telephone interviews and mail surveys were utilized to collect educational attainment and psychosocial information from respondents (N = 1028). Respondents also participated in an overnight clinic visit, during which health information and a fasting blood sample were obtained. Serum levels of IL-6. Greater educational attainment predicted lower levels of IL-6 independent of age and gender, although this effect was attenuated after taking health behaviors, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and chronic illnesses into account. Psychological well-being interacted with education to predict IL-6, such that for those with less education, higher well-being was associated with lower levels of IL-6. The findings indicate a strong association between education and inflammation, which can be further moderated by psychosocial factors. The health benefits associated with psychological well-being were particularly evident for individuals with low educational attainment.