How Do Socioeconomic Status, Behaviors, and Age Interact to Produce Death Risks?

Neil Mehta
Associate Professor, Preventative Medicine & Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Abstract

This research evaluates the nature of interactions between two key socio-demographic variables (educational attainment, race/ethnicity) and two key behavioral risk factors (obesity and smoking) to determine whether the two sets of risk factors operate additively or multiplicatively with each to influence the chance of dying.

Outcomes

  • Mehta, N. 2018. How do socioeconomic status, behaviors and age interact to produce death risks? 1st annual MiCDA Pilot Project Symposium. May 7, 2018, Ann Arbor, MI.
  • Mehta, N.K., H. Zheng, M. Myrskylä. 2018. Do the effects of major sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors for mortality rise or fall with age? Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. October 2018, Washington, D.C.
  • Mehta, N., Zheng, H., Myrskyläc, M. 2019. How do age and major risk factors for mortality interact over the life-course? Implications for health disparities research and public health policy SSM Popul Health. 2019 Aug; 8: 100438. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100438
  • National Institute on Aging. R03AG060404. Contribution of Behavioral Factors and Chronic Diseases to International Differences in Healthy Life Expectancy. PI: N. Mehta