Socioeconomic status across the life course and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Finland

Abstract

We used high quality register based data to study the relationship between childhood and adult socio-demographic characteristics and all-cause and cause-specific mortality at ages 35–72 in Finland among cohorts born in 1936–1950. The analyses were based on a 10% sample of households drawn from the 1950 Finnish Census of Population with the follow-up of household members in subsequent censuses and death records beginning from the end of 1970 through the end of 2007. The strengths of these data come from the fact that neither childhood nor adult characteristics are self reported and thus are not subject to recall bias, misreporting and no loss to follow-up after age 35. In addition, the study population includes several families with at least two children enabling us to control for unobserved family characteristics. We documented significant associations between early life social and family conditions on all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality, with protective effects of higher childhood socio-demographic characteristics varying between 10% and 30%. These associations were mostly mediated through adult educational attainment and occupation, suggesting that the indirect effects of childhood conditions were more important than their direct effects. We further found that adult socioeconomic status was a significant predictor of mortality. The associations between adult characteristics and mortality were robust to controls for observed and unobserved childhood characteristics. The results imply that long-term adverse health consequences of disadvantaged early life social circumstances may be mitigated by investments in educational and employment opportunities in early adulthood.

Education, cognitive ability, and cause-specific mortality: A structural approach

“…Before we turn to discuss the educational gains in months lost we estimate educational differences in causes-specific mortality rates using Cox proportional hazard models, the common approach in the literature (Elo et al 2014;Kulhánová et al 2014). In Section 5.2 we discuss the non-parametric estimates of the months lost and the implied educational gain.…”

“…Neither could we account for unobserved family characteristics. However, Elo et al (2014) have found that once observed parental education and socioeconomic status is controlled for the unobserved family factor do not matter for the education mortality association. Third, although military conscription was mandatory in Sweden, men with severe mental disabilities or severe chronic diseases were exempted from the military examination.…”

“…(Naess et al 2012;Elo et al 2014;Kulhánová et al 2014). In these models hazard ratios below one for higher education levels imply that the cause-specific mortality rates are lower for higher education levels.…”

Early Life Influences on Health and Mortality in Adulthood

“…In a similar fashion, children born to wealthy parents will enjoy the benefits of that wealth when they are children as well as when they age into adulthood (George, 2005). This phenomenon has been examined in a recent analysis of SES over the life course and its effects on adult mortality in Finland (Elo et al, 2013).…”

Pathways to Health and Well-being

“…For example, Elo et al (2014) analyse Finnish cohorts born in 1936e1950 and find significant associations between early-life social and family conditions and all-cause mortality and causespecific mortality. These associations were mostly mediated through adult educational attainment and occupation, suggesting that the indirect effects of childhood conditions were more important than their direct effects.…”