New research from Stockholm University suggests that childhood friendships can play a significant role in shaping a person’s future income, social mobility, and health outcomes. The findings come from a doctoral thesis by Klara Gurzo at the university’s Department of Public Health Sciences.The study followed more than 10,000 individuals born in 1953, using decades of Swedish data to analyze how early-life social relationships influence life opportunities. One key finding shows that children from low-income families who had close friends from higher-income backgrounds later earned significantly more as adults than those without such friendships.According to the research, friendships across socioeconomic backgrounds can expose children to new aspirations, educational paths, and social networks. These relationships may also indirectly provide access to resources and opportunities that support upward mobility.The thesis also examined how income inequality affects life expectancy, childhood conditions influence mortality risk, and how moving up or down the income ladder impacts mental health later in life. Overall, the research highlights that social environments during childhood—particularly schools and peer relationships—can have lasting effects on both economic outcomes and health across the life course.The findings suggest that policies aimed at reducing health inequality should pay closer attention to early-life environments where social opportunities and aspirations begin to develop.
Source:Stockholm University
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