Socioeconomic status and psychological well-being predict cross-time change in glycosylated hemoglobin in older women without diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether socioeconomic status and psychological well-being (eudaimonic and hedonic aspects) predicted nondiabetic levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) over time, after adjusting for covariates and baseline level of HbA1c. METHODS These questions were investigated with a longitudinal sample (n = 97; age = 61-91 years) of older women without diabetes. Socioeconomic status, well-being, and health behaviors were assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Fasting blood samples for assays of HbA1c were obtained before 7 AM during the respondents' overnight stay at the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All measurements were obtained at baseline and 2-year follow-up. RESULTS Regression analyses showed that higher income and positive affect predicted lower levels of HbA1c, after controlling for baseline HbA1c and health factors. Additionally, three well-being measures (purpose in life, personal growth, and positive affect) moderated the relationship between income and HbA1c. CONCLUSION These results suggest that psychological well-being and socioeconomic status interact in important ways in influencing nondiabetic glucose metabolism.