Perceived Socioeconomic Status and Health-Related Quality of Life (HQoL) Among Urban Adults: Evaluating the Protective Value of Resilience

Health-related quality of life (HQoL) is increasingly used as a measure of population health. The utility of HQoL lies in its ability to capture the subjectivity and totality of health-HQoL is an individual's subjective assessment of their physical, psychological, and social functioning. HQoL disparities exist in the United States, with some groups (e.g., individuals of low socioeconomic status [SES]) experiencing disproportionately low rates of HQoL, though little is known about the impact of perceived SES (PSES) on HQoL. Research is needed in order to (a) investigate the relationship of PSES on HQoL and (b) understand the mechanisms that may mitigate the adverse impact of PSES on HQoL. Therefore, the present study seeks to understand the role of resilience as a mediator in the relationship between PSES and HQoL among a sample (N = 284) of U.S. urban adults. Results from the present study indicate that resilience significantly mediates the relationship between PSES and physical and mental HQoL. The results of the present study have implications for researchers interested in behavioral health promotion interventions among individuals of low PSES. Resilience, a modifiable psychological variable, may be able to mitigate the adverse impact of PSES on HQoL and thus play a role in reducing HQoL disparities.