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The influences of childhood and adult socioeconomic position on body mass index: A longitudinal Swedish cohort study.

Al-Emrani, Faisal LU ; Stafström, Martin LU and Östergren, Per-Olof LU (2013) In Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 41(5). p.463-469
Abstract
Background: Low socioeconomic position (SEP) in adulthood has been associated with overweight and obesity in high-income countries. However, little is known about the contribution of childhood SEP to weight change. Using a Swedish general population sample, this study aimed to examine the association between five-year weight gain among adults and socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood. Methods: The data was drawn from the Scania Public Health Cohort and included 4244 individuals (1816 males and 2428 females) between the ages of 29 and 60 years, stratified by sex and age (29-39 and 40-60 years). General linear and logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. Results: Adult SEP was inversely correlated to BMI at... (More)
Background: Low socioeconomic position (SEP) in adulthood has been associated with overweight and obesity in high-income countries. However, little is known about the contribution of childhood SEP to weight change. Using a Swedish general population sample, this study aimed to examine the association between five-year weight gain among adults and socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood. Methods: The data was drawn from the Scania Public Health Cohort and included 4244 individuals (1816 males and 2428 females) between the ages of 29 and 60 years, stratified by sex and age (29-39 and 40-60 years). General linear and logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. Results: Adult SEP was inversely correlated to BMI at baseline in males and older females. Childhood SEP showed no clear pattern regarding current BMI or the risk of being overweight at baseline, either in males or females. However, BMI increase between baseline and follow-up was greater in the highest adult SEP groups than in lowest ones for both males and females, although with a weaker trend among females. High childhood SEP was associated with a greater BMI increase in older males, but the pattern was the opposite in older females. Conclusions: Adult as well as childhood SEP influences weight gains, but differently among males and females and in different age groups. The findings suggest two waves of socioeconomic weight gain patterns in the Swedish population: one across generations and another contemporary one. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
volume
41
issue
5
pages
463 - 469
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • wos:000319684100004
  • pmid:23524410
  • scopus:84878505976
  • pmid:23524410
ISSN
1651-1905
DOI
10.1177/1403494813482186
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6c21b883-8b42-41c7-8151-0280a8180696 (old id 3627745)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524410?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:16:01
date last changed
2022-03-27 23:36:15
@article{6c21b883-8b42-41c7-8151-0280a8180696,
  abstract     = {{Background: Low socioeconomic position (SEP) in adulthood has been associated with overweight and obesity in high-income countries. However, little is known about the contribution of childhood SEP to weight change. Using a Swedish general population sample, this study aimed to examine the association between five-year weight gain among adults and socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood. Methods: The data was drawn from the Scania Public Health Cohort and included 4244 individuals (1816 males and 2428 females) between the ages of 29 and 60 years, stratified by sex and age (29-39 and 40-60 years). General linear and logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. Results: Adult SEP was inversely correlated to BMI at baseline in males and older females. Childhood SEP showed no clear pattern regarding current BMI or the risk of being overweight at baseline, either in males or females. However, BMI increase between baseline and follow-up was greater in the highest adult SEP groups than in lowest ones for both males and females, although with a weaker trend among females. High childhood SEP was associated with a greater BMI increase in older males, but the pattern was the opposite in older females. Conclusions: Adult as well as childhood SEP influences weight gains, but differently among males and females and in different age groups. The findings suggest two waves of socioeconomic weight gain patterns in the Swedish population: one across generations and another contemporary one.}},
  author       = {{Al-Emrani, Faisal and Stafström, Martin and Östergren, Per-Olof}},
  issn         = {{1651-1905}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{463--469}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Public Health}},
  title        = {{The influences of childhood and adult socioeconomic position on body mass index: A longitudinal Swedish cohort study.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494813482186}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1403494813482186}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}