The school class as a social network and contextual effects on childhood and adult health: Findings from the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s cohort study

Little is known about the health consequences of the school class as a social network. The present study asked whether overall school-class structure has contextual effects on psychiatric problems in childhood and adult self-rated health. From longitudinal data on a Scottish cohort, measures of school-class structure (centralisation, degree of reciprocity and proportion of isolates) were constructed based on sociometric information. Multilevel analysis demonstrated significant effects of centralisation on both health outcomes. It is suggested that highly centralised classes are characterised by inequality, resulting in a low level of integration, with subsequent negative consequences for health.

► Few studies have examined health consequences of the school-class structure.
► This study uses sociometric information to construct network measures.
► Centralisation captures the overall hierarchical structure of the network.
► Students attending highly centralised (i.e. unequal) classes have worse health.
► These health consequences are not confined to childhood but persist into adulthood.