The role of control beliefs and coping in the relationship between socioeconomic status and health

A nearly linear relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and physical health is found at every level of SES. Because contextual factors such as inadequate medical care, poor nutrition, and crowded and/or unsanitary living conditions cannot fully explain this association, a growing body of literature examines the role of individual-level factors. This study examined the relationship among control beliefs, problem-focused coping, SES, and physical health outcomes in a sample of 232 undergraduate students. Control beliefs were found to mediate the relationship between SES and health. In addition, control beliefs were associated with individuals' use of problem-focused coping, although coping was unrelated to health outcomes. Analyses of discrete components of the multidimensional constructs of SES and control beliefs revealed differential relationships amongst the variables' dimensions. Implications of these findings are discussed.