Socioeconomic Status, Definition

Abstract Socioeconomic status (SES) is defined as a measure of one's combined economic and social status and tends to be positively associated with better health. This entry focuses on the three common measures of socioeconomic status; education, income, and occupation. I include definitions, theoretical background, and empirical support for each of these SES indicators and their relationship with health. SES is generally thought to influence health through three avenues: (1) SES influences health through the ability to purchase health promoting resources and treatments; (2) socialization of early health habits and continuing socialization of health habits differs by SES; and (3) it has been posited that, rather than SES influencing health, health influences SES – less healthy individuals complete fewer years of school, miss more work, and earn lower incomes.