Social class and social mobility--effects on survival. A study of an entire birth cohort during an 80-year life span

The survival of all individuals living within a limited area (N = 489), born in 1902 and 1903, were studied from birth until 80 years of age according to parents' social class, own social class, and occupational mobility. There were no statistical significant differences in survival according to parents' social class. Bivariate survival analysis between 20-80 years of age, based on own social class, shown no significant differences. Concerning social mobility, when males and females were analyzed separately, those men with no mobility had a significantly lower survival rate than those with downward or upward mobility. For women there was no such difference in survival. In a multivariate survival analysis among eight social factors, sex and marital status had the greatest effect on survival between 20-80 years of age. Widows and widowers had, unexpectedly, a higher survival compared to married and never married persons.