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“Deaths of despair in the tropics?”: Relative deprivation among middle-aged Costa Ricans

Gilbert Brenes-Camacho, CCP, Universidad de Costa Rica

Marmot and Wilkinson (2001) have proposed that relative socioeconomic status (SES) is a relevant factor that explains that wealthier or more educated people have lower mortality than lower status populations, the so-called SES gradient in mortality. This framework is closely linked to the idea of “deaths of despair”. The main goal of this article is to study the SES mortality gradient in Costa Rica using subjective assessments of SES in the past and in the present, using longitudinal data from the Retirement cohort of the CRELES Project. Perceived SES is operationalized through the answers to questions about subjective social position in a hierarchy. Costa Ricans with perceived downward mobility are more likely to die than Costa Ricans who improved their perceived SES over time, especially due to cancer, cardiovascular conditions, or alcohol-related causes, and are more likely to report current smoking and stress.

Keywords: Mortality, Inequality, Longitudinal studies

See paper.

  Presented in Session 122. Socioeconomic Inequality, Differentials and Mortality