Background
Life course SES conceptual models
The latent effects model
The pathway model
The social mobility model
The cumulative model
Methods
Categorization of life course studies by life course study design
Life course study design | Typical chronological analysis set-up used in study design | Typical study question |
---|---|---|
Early SES → Outcome | Early-life SES variable(s) used to predict CVD (e.g., CHD, stroke). Adjusted for later-life events, behaviors, risk factor levels to determine "direct" effect of early life SES. | Is there a significant independent effect of early-life (childhood) SES on the adult risk of CVD after adjusting for later-life SES and risk factors? |
Early SES → Risk Factor | Early-life SES variable(s) used to predict adult CVD risk factors levels. | How does early-life SES affect later-life levels of behavioral and physiological CVD risk factors? |
Social Trajectory | Inter- or intragenerational movement from one SES level to another (i.e., Low SES to High SES) used to predict adult CVD risk factors levels or CVD outcomes. | How does social mobility from one point to another during the life course affect the risk of CVD? |
Cumulative SES | A summary variable indicating number of negative SES events/environments over the life course used to predict adult CVD risk factors levels or CVD outcomes. | How does the accumulated number of negative SES-related exposures across the life course influence the risk of CVD? |
Results
Early SES → outcome life course studies: overview
Early SES → outcome studies: summary of results
1st Author, year & reference number Study name | Early life SES measures | Variables adjusted for other than age |
---|---|---|
Acute/ Survived MI, CVD | ||
Burr 1980 [49] South Wales hospital cohort | Father's occup (RG, 3 groups), father unemployed (> 1 year), family size | Current SES |
Notkola 1985 [40] East-West Study | 5-level index: father's occup & farm size | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Coggon 1990 [37] Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle study | Father's occup (RG, 5 groups), height, sibling death | Current SES, smoking |
Hasle 1990 [48] Danish worker's union study | 8 variables (yes/no) on parent's occup, health, household, residence, edu, illness | None |
Kaplan 1990 [43] Kuopio Study | Factor analysis of edu, occup, farm, farm size, perceived wealth | CVD RF's |
Lundberg 1993 [51] Swedish population cohort study | 4 yes/no variables: economic hardship, large family, broken family, dissension | Current SES, gender |
Gliksman 1995 [39] Nurses' Health Study | Father's occup at 16 years | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Lamont 2000 [41] Newcastle 1,000 Families Cohort | Birth: father's occup; 5 & 10 years: parent's occup, housing, # of adverse life events | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Marmot 2001 [46] Whitehall II Study | Childhood: father's occup (RG, 4 groups), age at leaving edu Labor force entry: Occup | Current & child SES |
Wamala 2001 [45] Stockholm Study | Early-life SES disadvantage index (0–3) of 3 variables: large family, born last, low edu | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Stroke
| ||
Gliksman 1995 [39] Nurses' Health Study | Father's occup (4 groups) at 16 years | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Coggon 1990 [37] Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle study | Father's occup (RG, 5 groups), height, sibling death | Current SES, smoking |
Davey Smith 1998 [44] Collaborative Study | Father's occup (RG, 4 groups), also mnl vs. non-mnl | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Frankel 1999 [54] Boyd Orr Cohort | Father's occup (RG, 5 groups) | Townsend area deprivation score |
Dedman 2001 [56] Boyd Orr Cohort | Persons/room, tap water (yes/no), toilet type, ventilation, cleanliness (3 levels each) | Childhood SES, area deprivation score |
CHD Mortality
| ||
Notkola 1985 [40] East-West Study | 5-level index using father's occup & farm size | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Lynch 1994 [38] Kuopio Study | SES index (3 groups), by parents' edu, occup, farm, perceived wealth | Current SES |
Vagero 1994 [50] Uppsala Birth Cohort Study | Occup of head of household (mnl, non-mnl, unemployed) | Current SES |
Gliksman 1995 [39] Nurses' Health Study | Father's occup (4 groups) at 16 years | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Davey Smith 1998 [44] Collaborative Study | Father's occup (RG, 4 groups), also divided into mnl vs. non-mnl | Current SES, CVD RF's, area deprivation |
Hart 1998 [42] Collaborative Study | Early SES: father's occup; Labor force entry: Occup; At screening: occup | None |
Frankel 1999 [54] Boyd Orr Cohort | Father's occup (RG, 5 groups) | Townsend area deprivation score |
Davey Smith 2001 [47] Glasgow Alumni Cohort | Father's social class, (RG, 5 groups) | CVD RF's |
Dedman 2001 [56] Boyd Orr Cohort | Persons/room, tap water (yes/no), toilet type, ventilation, cleanliness (3 levels each) | Childhood SES, Townsend area deprivation score |
Davey Smith 2002 [52] Collaborative Study | Father's occup (mnl/non-mnl) | Current SES, CVD RF's |
Claussen 2003 [53] Oslo Mortality Study | Index of housing conditions items | Current SES |
Osler 2003 [55] Project Metropolit | Father's social class (3 groups) by occup | Birth weight, IQ at age 12 |
Early SES → outcome studies: methodologic issues
Early SES → risk factor studies: overview
Early SES → risk factor studies: summary of results
1st Author, year & reference number Study name | Early life and/or adult SES measures | Variables adjusted for other than age | CVD risk factor(s) measured |
---|---|---|---|
Arnesen 1985 [65] Tromso Heart Study | Early-life: 4-level index of household economic conditions | CVD RF's | Cholesterol, SBP, glucose, BMI, smoking, more |
Notkola 1985 [40] East-West Study | Early-life: 5-level index using father's occup & farm size; Adult: occup (6 groups) | None | Smoking, cholesterol, SBP |
Wadsworth 1985 [98] Medical Research Council National Survey of Health Study | Early-life: index of father's occup & parents' edu; Adult: occup (RG) & employment | CVD RF's | SBP, DBP |
Braddon 1986 [71] British 1946 Birth Cohort | Early-life: 2 social class indices of father's occup; Adult: occup (RG, 8 groups), edu (high/low) | Adult SES, CVD RF's | Obesity (BMI > 30.0 for men, > 29.1 for women) |
Peck 1994 [66] Swedish census cohort study | Early-life: father's occup (7 groups); Adult: occup (7 groups) | None | Smoking, physical activity |
Blane 1996 [64] Collaborative Study | Early-life: father's occup (RG, 4 groups); Adult: occup (RG, 4 groups) | Adult SES | DBP, physical activity, smoking, BMI, FEV1, more |
Lynch 1997 [99] Kuopio Study | Child: SES index (3 groups); Adolescent: edu (3 groups); Adult: occup, income, possessions, more | Energy intake | Smoking, drinking, obesity, physical activity, diet |
Power 1997a [14] 1958 British Birth Cohort | Child: father's occup (RG, 4 groups); At 23 years: occup, edu; At 33 years: occup | None | BMI (obesity) |
Power 1997b [90] 1958 British Birth Cohort | Child: father's occup (RG, 4 groups); At 23 years: occup, edu; At 33 years: occup | None | Smoking, BMI (obesity) |
Davey Smith 1998 [44] Collaborative Study | Early-life: father's occup (4 groups); Adult: occup (6 groups) | None | Smoking, DBP, cholesterol, BMI, FEV1 |
van de Mheen 1998 [63] Longitudinal Study, Netherlands | Early-life: father's occup (6 groups); Adult: occup (6 groups) | Adult SES | BMI, smoking, alcohol, leisure physical activity |
Brunner 1999 [67] Whitehall II Study | Early-life: father's occup (RG, 4 groups); Adult: occup (Civil Service grade, 4 groups) | Adult SES | Smoking, activity, HDL, BMI, fibrinogen, more |
Davey Smith 2002 [52] Collaborative Study | Early-life: father's occup (mnl/non-mnl); Adult: occup (mnl/non-mnl) | None | Smoking, alcohol, area deprivation |
Lawlor 2002 [68] British Women's Heart Study | Early-life: father's occup (RG, 6 groups); Adult: current occup (RG, 6 groups) | Adult SES | Insulin resistance, SBP, cholesterol, BMI, smoking, triglycerides, alcohol, more |
Poulton 2002 [73] Dunedin Multidisciplinary Study | Early-life: parental occup (6 groups) at 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 & 15 years; Adult: current occup (3 groups) | Adult SES | BMI, WHR, SBP, smoking, alcohol, more |
Lawlor 2003 [69] British Women's Heart Study | Early-life: father's longest occup (mnl / non-mnl); Adult: longest occup (RG, 6 groups) | CVD RF's | HOMA, SBP, HDL, triglycerides |
Parker 2003 [70] Newcastle 1000 Families Study | Birth: father's occup & housing; 5 & 10 years: same, plus adverse life events; Adult: wage earner's occup | None | CMS, BMI, WHR, fasting insulin, triglycerides, HDL |
Early SES → risk factor studies: methodologic issues
Social trajectory studies: overview
Social trajectory studies: summary of results
1st Author, year & reference number Study name | SES measures | Variables adjusted for other than age | CVD risk factor(s) / outcomes measured |
---|---|---|---|
Kaplan 1971 [76] Evans County Heart Study | Early-life: father's occup (7 groups); Early Adult & Adult: occup & social class (5 classes) | None | MI, chronic IHD, AP, sudden death |
Gillum 1978 [77] Harvard Alumni Cohort | Early-life: by parental occup (blue/white collar); Adult: assumed to be at least middle class | A confounder summarizing score | AP, HTN, fatal or non-fatal CHD or MI |
Burr 1980 [49] South Wales hospital cohort | Father's occup (RG, 3 groups), father unemployed (> than 1 year), family size, current occup (RG, 3 groups) | None | Survived MI |
Wadsworth 1985 [72] British 1946 Birth Cohort | Early-life: index of father's occup and parents' edu; Adult: occup (RG), employment & edu for women | Smoking, edu, father's CVD, BMI, more | SBP, DBP |
Faresjo 1994 [78] Swedish Study of Men Born in 1913 | Early-life: father's SES (3 groups) by occup, social class; Adult: same; all mobility relative to child SES | SBP, cholesterol, smoking | MI |
Lynch 1994 [38] Kuopio Study | Early-life: SES index (3 groups); Adult: current income (2 groups) | None | CVD mortality |
Blane 1996 [64] Collaborative Study | Early-life: father's occup (RG, 4 groups); Adult: occup (RG, 4 groups) | BMI, cholesterol, DBP, smoking, activity, FEV1 | BMI, cholesterol, DBP, smoking, activity, FEV1 |
Hart 1998 [75] Collaborative Study | Early-life: father's occup (mnl/non-mnl); Labor force entry: occup (mnl/non-mnl); Adult: occup (mnl/non-mnl), area deprivation index | Smoking, DBP, cholesterol, FEV1, angina, ischemia | CVD mortality & risk factors listed |
Davey Smith 1998 [44] Collaborative Study | Early-life: father's occup: (RG, mnl/non-mnl); Adult: occup: (RG, mnl/non-mnl) | Smoking, DBP, BMI, area deprivation, more | Mortality from CHD & stroke |
Poulton 2002 [73] Dunedin Multidisciplinary Study | Early-life: parental occup (6 groups) at 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 & 15 years; Adult: current occup (3 groups) | Infant health index, gender, adult SES | BMI, WHR, SBP, smoking, alcohol dependence |
Pensola 2003 [79] Finnish census cohort | Early-life: father's occup (mnl vs. non-mnl); Adult: current occup (mnl vs. non-mnl) | None | CVD mortality |
Social trajectory studies: methodologic issues
Cumulative SES studies: overview
Cumulative SES studies: summary of results
1st Author, year & reference number Study name | Cumulative SES measure(s) | Variables adjusted for other than age | CVD risk factor(s) / outcomes measured |
---|---|---|---|
Davey-Smith 1997 [82] Collaborative Study | Sum of # of times at mnl vs. non-mnl SES using father's, own first, & own current occup class | BMI, DBP, FEV1, cholesterol, smoking, AP, ischemia, more | CVD, mortality, AP, smoking, BMI, DBP, cholesterol, more |
Heslop 2001 [81] Collaborative Study | Sum of # of times at mnl vs. non-mnl SES using father's, own first, & own current class | DBP, BMI, FEV1, cholesterol, activity, smoking, alcohol | CVD mortality, DBP, BMI, FEV1, exercise, smoking, alcohol, more |
Wamala 2001 [45] Stockholm Study | Sum of # of instances (0–6) of SES disadvantage (large family, born last, low edu, blue-collar/ housewife, economic hardship) | Height, HDL, HTN, marriage, fibrinogen, obesity, smoking, more | Cases: CHD event (acute MI, unstable/ recurrent AP) |
Davey-Smith 2002 [52] Collaborative Study | Sum of # of risks (0–6): Father mnl SES, left edu at < 15 years, current mnl SES, smoking, high alcohol, high deprivation area | None | CVD mortality |
Lawlor 2002 [68] British Women's Heart Study | Cross-classification of father's longest occup and current occup (RG, mnl/non-mnl) | None | Insulin resistance, HTN, smoking, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, BMI, more |
Claussen 2003 [53] Oslo Mortality Study | Early life: Index of housing conditions (scored 0–7) Adulthood: standardized income (7 groups) | None | CVD mortality |
Pensola 2003 [79] Finnish census cohort | Sum of # of times in mnl vs. non-mnl class, by father's occup & own occup at 30–34 | None | CVD mortality |