Childhood Socioeconomic Position, Educational Attainment, and Adult Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Cohort Study
Debbie A Lawlor, PhD,
G. David Batty, PhD,
Susan M.B. Morton, PhD,
Heather Clark, MSc,
Sally Macintyre, PhD and
David A. Leon, PhD
Debbie A. Lawlor is with the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, England. At the time of this study, G. David Batty was with the Department of Social Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Susan M. B. Morton is with the School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Heather Clark is with the Dugald Baird Centre for Research on Womens Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland. Sally Macintyre is with the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. David A. Leon is with the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England.
Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Debbie A. Lawlor, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS7 8QA, United Kingdom (e-mail: d.a.lawlor{at}bristol.ac.uk).
Objectives. We assessed the associations of childhood socioeconomicposition with cardiovascular disease risk factors (smoking,binge alcohol drinking, and being overweight) and examined theroles of educational attainment and cognitive functioning inthese associations.
Methods. Data were derived from a cohort study involving 7184individuals who were born in Aberdeen, Scotland, between 1950and 1956; had detailed records on perinatal characteristics,childhood anthropometry, and cognitive functioning; and respondedto a mailed questionnaire when they were aged 45 to 52 years.
Results. Strong graded associations existed between social classat birth and smoking, binge drinking, and being overweight.Adjustment for educational attainment completely attenuatedthese associations. However, after control for adult socialclass, adult income and other potential confounding or mediatingfactors, some association remained.
Conclusions. Educational attainment is an important mediatingfactor in the relation between socioeconomic adversity in childhoodand smoking, binge drinking, and being overweight in adulthood.
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