Perceived Extrinsic Mortality Risk and Reported Effort in Looking after Health

Pepper, Gillian and Nettle, Daniel (2014) Perceived Extrinsic Mortality Risk and Reported Effort in Looking after Health. Human Nature, 25 (3). pp. 378-392. ISSN 1045-6767

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Abstract

Socioeconomic gradients in health behavior are pervasive and well documented. Yet, there is little consensus on their causes. Behavioral ecological theory predicts that, if people of lower socioeconomic position (SEP) perceive greater personal extrinsic mortality risk than those of higher SEP, they should disinvest in their future health. We surveyed North American adults for reported effort in looking after health, perceived extrinsic and intrinsic mortality risks, and measures of SEP. We examined the relationships between these variables and found that lower subjective SEP predicted lower reported health effort. Lower subjective SEP was also associated with higher perceived extrinsic mortality risk, which in turn predicted lower reported health effort. The effect of subjective SEP on reported health effort was completely mediated by perceived extrinsic mortality risk. Our findings indicate that perceived extrinsic mortality risk may be a key factor underlying SEP gradients in motivation to invest in future health.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Extrinsic mortality, Health motivation, Behavioral ecology, Model, Socioeconomic, Perceptions
Subjects:	C800 Psychology
Department:	Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Psychology
Depositing User:	Becky Skoyles
Date Deposited:	30 Jan 2019 11:42
Last Modified:	11 Oct 2019 14:15
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/37809

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