Allostatic Load and Internal Migration: Health Impacts of Residential and Social Transitions in Early Adulthood
Restricted (Penn State Only)
Author:
Shetler, Anna
Graduate Program:
Sociology (MA)
Degree:
Master of Arts
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
September 12, 2022
Committee Members:
Scott Thomas Yabiku, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Steven Andrew Haas, Committee Member Michelle Frisco, Program Head/Chair Michelle Lynn Frisco, Committee Member
Keywords:
allostatic load internal migration neighborhood effects mobility health segregation
Abstract:
The relationship between neighborhoods and allostatic load (AL) remains understudied. It is also uncommon for prior work to examine how mobility, such as movement between neighborhoods and distances of moves, is related to AL. In this paper, I use ecological systems theory to study how AL is associated with neighborhood poverty, mobility, and social status in young to mid-adulthood (late 20s to late 30s). AL serves as an indicator of chronic stress and future disease, giving insight into health disparities before formal diagnoses may be possible – a particularly salient health measure for younger, healthier adults. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 3,368), I find that individuals in young adulthood with higher education are more likely to move by mid-adulthood, while those with greater economic resources and children born are more likely to stay in place. Long-distance movers (>50km) tend to have lower AL than short-distance and non-movers. When examined separately by race, for the non-white sample, short-distance moves are associated with higher AL compared to non-moves. Individuals who consistently live in poor neighborhoods (>20% census tract population living in poverty) are likely to have higher AL than those who enter, exit, or never live in poor neighborhoods. However, controls for race and socioeconomic status explain many of the studied relationships with AL. Results suggest that segregation, racism, and classism are critical in determining the embodiment of stress and health in the United States.
