Life-course influences on health in British adults: effects of socio-economic position in childhood and adulthood.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Little evidence exists on the role of socio-economic position (SEP) in early life on adult disease other than for cardiovascular mortality; data is often retrospective. We assess whether childhood SEP influences disease risk in mid-life, separately from the effect of adult position, and establish how associations vary across multiple measures of disease risk.

METHODS:

Prospective follow-up to adulthood of all born in England, Scotland and Wales during 1 week in 1958, and with medical data at age 45 years (n = 9377). Outcomes include: blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen, total immunoglobulin E (IgE), one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), hearing threshold (4 kHz), visual impairment, symptoms of depression and anxiety, chronic widespread pain.

RESULTS:

Social class in childhood was associated with blood pressure, BMI, HbA1c, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fibrinogen, FEV1, hearing threshold, depressive symptoms and chronic widespread pain, with a general trend of deteriorating health from class I to V. Adult social class was also associated with these measures. Mutually adjusted analyses of child and adult social class suggest that both contribute to disease risk in mid-life: in general, associations for childhood class were as strong as for adult class. Individuals with a manual class at both time-points tended to have the greatest health deficits in adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS:

Adverse SEP in childhood is associated with a poorer health profile in mid-adulthood, independently of adult social position, and across diverse measures of disease risk and physical and mental functioning.

• Authors: Chris Power, Kate Atherton, David P Strachan, Peter Shepherd, Elizabeth Fuller, Adrian Davis, Ian Gibb, Meena Kumari, Gordon Lowe, Gary J Macfarlane, Jugnoo Rahi, Bryan Rodgers, Stephen Stansfeld
• Journal: International journal of epidemiology (Int J Epidemiol) Vol. 36 Issue 3 Pg. 532-9 (Jun 2007) ISSN: 0300-5771 [Print] England
• PMID: 17255345 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Glycated Hemoglobin A
• Lipids
• hemoglobin A1c protein, human
• Immunoglobulin E

Topics

• Adult
• Blood Pressure
• Body Mass Index
• Cardiovascular Diseases (epidemiology, etiology)
• England (epidemiology)
• Epidemiologic Methods
• Female
• Glycated Hemoglobin (analysis)
• Health Status
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin E (blood)
• Infant, Newborn
• Lipids (blood)
• Male
• Mental Disorders (epidemiology, etiology)
• Middle Aged
• Respiration Disorders (epidemiology, etiology)
• Scotland (epidemiology)
• Social Class
• Wales (epidemiology)