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Perceived socioeconomic vulnerability, but not objective poverty, is linked to interoception through perceived stress
This research article explores the association between socioeconomic vulnerability and interoceptive awareness, defined as the perception, interpretation, and regulation of bodily signals. While socioeconomic vulnerability is known to correlate with heightened stress and adverse health outcomes, its impact on interoceptive awareness has not been thoroughly examined.
The study involved 104 adults (50 women, 54 men; aged 30–45 years; mean schooling = 14.7 years) who completed self-report measures to evaluate perceived vulnerability, perceived stress, and interoceptive awareness using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA).
Results indicated a significant negative association between perceived vulnerability and interoceptive awareness, as evidenced by both total MAIA scores and specific subscales. Notably, multidimensional poverty did not demonstrate a similar negative impact. Furthermore, perceived stress was identified as a partial mediator in the relationship between perceived vulnerability and interoceptive awareness.
These findings underscore the importance of subjective perceptions of socioeconomic vulnerability, suggesting that such perceptions may hinder one’s ability to effectively attend to and utilize bodily signals through psycho-affective and cognitive mechanisms. This research contributes to existing physiological models that link socioeconomic experiences with interoceptive processes, emphasizing the critical role of subjective vulnerability in influencing interoceptive functioning. [NPID: interoception, poverty, stress]
Year: 2026
