(P24-053-23) Subjective Social Status and Its Relationship To Diet and Health Behavior Among Students at a Large, Midwestern University

Objectives: Subjective Social Status (SSS) has well-documented relationships with health outcomes in adults, independent of objective markers of socioeconomic status. However, fewer studies have been conducted in young adults. We examined associations between SSS and multiple health behaviors among students at a large, public Midwestern university.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in Fall 2021 among a random sample of 841 students at the University of Michigan. SSS was measured using the MacArthur scale of SSS with separate questions assessing perceived standing in society and at their school. Outcomes were identified as those being most relevant to overall health and college students’ developmental stage and included dietary intake (using the National Cancer Institute Dietary Screening Questionnaire), body mass index (BMI), sleep, physical activity, alcohol use, and vaping behavior. Differences between SSS and health outcomes were examined using generalized linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for students' sociodemographic characteristics. 

Results: Non-Hispanic Black students had the lowest societal SSS (p < 0.0001), whereas Hispanic students had the lowest school SSS (p < 0.0001). First generation college students, financial aid recipients, and students experiencing food insecurity had both the lowest societal and school SSS (p < 0.0001). Higher societal SSS was associated with 3% higher intakes of whole grain and 1% higher intakes of fiber (p < 0.05). Higher societal and school SSS were both significantly associated with lower BMI (p < 0.05) and better sleep duration (p < 0.05). Higher school SSS was positively associated with physical activity (p < 0.05) and higher alcohol consumption (p < 0.05). No significant association was observed between SSS and vaping or e-cigarette use.

Conclusions: Students from structurally marginalized groups showed lower SSS, even among other students enrolled at the same university. Higher societal and school SSS were associated with more favorable health outcomes, with the exception of alcohol intake. More research is needed to explore if disparities in SSS persist over the college years and potential mechanisms underlying the observed associations.

Funding Sources: This study was funded by a grant from the University of Michigan Office of Research.