Title
Measurement of Cumulative Physiological Dysregulation in an Older Population
Author(s)
Christopher L. Seplaki Christopher Seplaki (Princeton University)
Noreen Goldman Noreen Goldman (Princeton University)
Maxine Weinstein Maxine Weinstein (Georgetown University)
Yu-Hsuan Lin Yu-Hsuan Lin (Bureau of Health Promotion, Center for Population and Survey Research, Department of Health, Taichung, Taiwan)
Abstract
Theories of allostatic load postulate that an important pathway connecting the social environment with health involves biological responses to stressful stimuli and subsequent dysregulation of interrelated physiological systems. We formulate a new measure for cumulative physiological dysregulation using a grade of membership model estimated with biodemographic data from a national sample of older Taiwanese. We investigate associations between the measure and physical, psychological, and cognitive function. The results provide insights into the relationships between a set of biological profiles and various health outcomes, identify limitations of earlier approaches, and underscore next steps in the development of improved formulations of physiological dysregulation.
Creation Date
2004-02
Section URL ID
OPR
Paper Number
opr0402.pdf
URL
https://web.archive.org/web/20150906192042/http://opr.princeton.edu/papers/opr0402.pdf
File Function
Jel
I10
Keyword(s)
Suppress
false
Series
11