Socioeconomic position across the lifecourse & allostatic load: data from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 cohort study.

BACKGROUND:

We examined how socioeconomic position (SEP) across the lifecourse (three critical periods, social mobility and accumulated over time) is associated with allostatic load (a measure of cumulative physiological burden).

METHODS:

Data are from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study, with respondents aged 35 (n’=’740), 55 (n’=’817) and 75 (n’=’483). SEP measures representing childhood, the transition to adulthood and adulthood SEP were used. Allostatic load was produced by summing nine binary biomarker scores (1’=’in the highest-risk quartile). Linear regressions were used for each of the lifecourse models; with model fits compared using partial F-tests.

RESULTS:

For those aged 35 and 55, higher SEP was associated with lower allostatic load (no association in the 75-year-olds). The accumulation model (more time spent with higher SEP) had the best model fit in those aged 35 (b’=’-0.50, 95%CI’=’-0.68, -0.32, P’=’0.002) and 55 (b’=’-0.31, 95%CI’=’-0.49, -0.12, P’<’0.001). However, the relative contributions of each life-stage differed, with adulthood SEP less strongly associated with allostatic load.

CONCLUSIONS:

Long-term, accumulated higher SEP has been shown to be associated with lower allostatic load (less physiological burden). However, the transition to adulthood may represent a particularly sensitive period for SEP to impact on allostatic load.

May 30, 2014

Socioeconomic position across the lifecourse & allostatic load: data from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 cohort study. / SCPHRP by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0

Report this page

To report inappropriate content on this page, please use the form below. Upon receiving your report, we will be in touch as per the Take Down Policy of the service.

Please note that personal data collected through this form is used and stored for the purposes of processing this report and communication with you.

If you are unable to report a concern about content via this form please contact the Service Owner.

Your name Your email address Please enter an email address you wish to be contacted on. Report description Please describe the unacceptable content in sufficient detail to allow us to locate it, and why you consider it to be unacceptable.
By submitting this report, you accept that it is accurate and that fraudulent or nuisance complaints may result in action by the University.

Cancel