Investigating the effects of temporal and interpersonal relative deprivation on health in China.

We argue that in addition to interpersonal relative deprivation, it is important to examine how temporal relative deprivation influences health, especially in rapidly changing societies such as China. We develop four competing hypotheses regarding the possible effects of temporal relative deprivation on health. Moreover, we propose that temporal relative deprivation may confound the health effects of interpersonal relative deprivation, and for the sake of conceptual clarity, temporal relative deprivation needs to be accounted for in the examination of interpersonal relative deprivation. We use data from a nationally representative survey in China; our analytical sample consists of 10,828 respondents. The dependent variables are self-rated health and the frequency of experiencing depressive symptoms. Interpersonal relative deprivation is measured by individuals' evaluation of their current positions on a 10-rung 'ladder'. We also assess individuals' subjective positions at 14 years of age and from 10 years ago. To measure temporal relative deprivation, current subjective status is compared with subjective status at the two time points in the past to construct indicators of perceived upward and downward mobility. Both diagonal mobility models and conventional logistic regression are used and the results from the two types of model are comparable. The majority of Chinese people felt that they moved up the social ladder compared with their parents or themselves 10 years ago. Perceived upward mobility is not associated with health outcomes, whereas perceived downward mobility, especially intra-generational, is a strong predictor of worse mental and physical health. These patterns are consistent with the argument that the effects of bad experiences are stronger and longer lasting than those of good ones. They also focus our attention on those who perceived downward mobility. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the health effects of current subjective status also include the cumulative influence of prior changes in one's social status.