SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS, PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND HEALTH IN URBAN GUYANA

This study seeks to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and self-reported indicators of physical and mental healt h in an urban Third World context. The data come from a probability sa mple of 654 adult residents of Georgetown, Guyana. There is a signific ant inverse association between formal education and morbidity for fou r of the six measures of health status. In this research the extent to which self-concept, health behaviors, stress and social ties are link ed to health status and SES, and can explain SES differences in health status is explored. Psychosocial factors, especially the self-concept measures (self-esteem and mastery) play a moderate role in accounting for educational differences in health status.