Perceived Scarcity Across Sociodemographic Backgrounds Predicts Self-Reported Health

Abstract. Background: Perceived scarcity shows promise as an indicator of physical and mental health and a possible predictor of health disparities; however, a systematic investigation of how perceived scarcity is experienced across racial and ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups is imperative. Moreover, it is necessary to unpack the unique predictive power of each scarcity domain. Aims: First, differences in the experience of perceived scarcity by various sociodemographic groups in overall perceived scarcity and each of its three dimensions were explored using a cross-sectional sample. Next, using self-reported health outcome data collected from participants at a second time point, the direct and mediating role of perceived scarcity in the relationship between sociodemographic indicators and self-reported health was examined. Method: Participants included a racially and socioeconomically diverse online sample. One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and t-tests were used to assess whether perceived scarcity, overall and by domain, varied by sociodemographic factors. PROCESS macro for SPSS v 3.5 was used to analyze the proposed direct effects and mediations. Results: Results indicate that sociodemographic differences do exist in perceived scarcity and in a variety of ways that may not be reflected when solely examining overall perceived scarcity. Dimensions of perceived scarcity were found to mediate the relationship between some sociodemographic factors and self-reported health. Limitations: Future research should address the limitations of the current study’s sample insofar as recruiting a wider sample of participants to include those experiencing the most extreme forms of scarcity. Conclusion: Findings support the importance of considering the unique experience of perceived scarcity by domain across sociodemographic groups when using it as a predictor or mediator of health.