Association between children's experience of socioeconomic disadvantage and adult health: a life-course study

Abstract

SummaryBackground-Research into social inequalities in health has tended to focus on low socioeconomic status in adulthood. We aimed to test the hypothesis that children's experience of socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with a wide range of health risk factors and outcomes in adult life.

Socioeconomic position in childhood and in adulthood and functional limitations in midlife: Data from a nationally-representative survey of French men and women

“…The associations between childhood and adult socioeconomic factors and health in midlife in our study are consistent with past investigations conducted in other countries (Power et al, 1996;Poulton et At the same time, health problems may lead to less favourable occupational trajectories (Leclerc, Zins, Bugel, Chastang, David, Morcet et al 1994;Ribet et al, 2003;Virtanen, Vahtera, Kivimaki, Liukkonen, Virtanen & Ferrie, 2005). In our study, men who experienced downward career mobility had high rates of functional limitations, while those who experienced upward mobility were as healthy as participants who benefited from the most favourable socioeconomic circumstances.…”

“…Across industrialized countries, socioeconomic position in childhood and in adulthood is found to predict adult mortality (Lynch, Kaplan, Cohen, Kauhanen, Wilson, Smith et al 1994;Beebe-Dimmer, Lynch, Turrell, Lustgarten, Raghunathan & Kaplan, 2004;Melchior, Berkman, Kawachi, Krieger, Zins, Bonenfant et al 2006) and morbidity, as measured by self-rated health, long-standing limiting illness, overweight, major depression, myocardial infarction, and cancer incidence (Power, Matthews & Manor, 1996;Bartley & Plewis, 2002;Ribet, Zins, Guéguen, Bingham, Goldberg, Ducimetière et al 2003;Poulton, Caspi, Milne, Thompson, Taylor, Sears et al 2002;Gilman, Kawachi, Fitzmaurice & Buka, 2002;Hallqvist, Lynch, Bartley, Lang & Blane, 2004;Melchior, Goldberg, Krieger, Kawachi, Menvielle, Zins et al 2005a). Of studies that investigated childhood and adult socioeconomic circumstances simultaneously, some found that both early life and adult factors predict adult health (Power et al, 1996;Poulton et al, 2002;Gilman et al, 2002;Beebe-Dimmer et al, 2004), while others reported that adult health is primarily a function of adult socioeconomic position (Lynch et al, 1994;Melchior et al, 2005a;Melchior et al, 2006).…”

“…Of studies that investigated childhood and adult socioeconomic circumstances simultaneously, some found that both early life and adult factors predict adult health (Power et al, 1996;Poulton et al, 2002;Gilman et al, 2002;Beebe-Dimmer et al, 2004), while others reported that adult health is primarily a function of adult socioeconomic position (Lynch et al, 1994;Melchior et al, 2005a;Melchior et al, 2006). These inconsistent findings may reflect methodological differences, as well as cross-country differences in the nature of socioeconomic inequalities in health and additional data on lifelong socioeconomic position and various aspects of adult health are still needed.…”

Nature-Based Strategies for Improving Urban Health and Safety

“…[70][71][72] The impact of poverty on health begins in childhood and the effects are long-lasting, even in adults that escape poverty. 73 In addition, in the US, life expectancy is lower among those born in low-SES counties compared to those in more wealthy counties. 74 Place, and the natural aspects of place, could be an important ingredient in the relationship between poverty and health.…”

Pathogen burden and cortisol profiles over the day

“…There is abundant evidence that early childhood adversity influences adult health outcomes, with factors such as low childhood socioeconomic status (SES), poverty, and poor or overcrowded housing being associated with increased risk of cardiovascular, respiratory and psychiatric illness [1][2][3]. These effects may be mediated in part through stress processes, since childhood abuse, family discord and negative life events increase risk for later ill health [4][5][6], and tend to cluster in children of lower SES [7].…”