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Symmetry of the face in old age reflects childhood social status

Author

Listed:
  • Hope, David
  • Bates, Timothy
  • Penke, Lars
  • Gow, Alan J.
  • Starr, John M.
  • Deary, Ian J.

Abstract

The association of socioeconomic status (SES) with a range of lifecourse outcomes is robust, but the causes of these associations are not well understood. Research on the developmental origins of health and disease has led to the hypothesis that early developmental disturbance might permanently affect the lifecourse, accounting for some of the burden of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease. Here we assessed developmental disturbance using bodily and facial symmetry and examined its association with socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood, and attained status at midlife. Symmetry was measured at ages 83 (facial symmetry) and 87 (bodily symmetry) in a sample of 292 individuals from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 (LBC1921). Structural equation models indicated that poorer SES during early development was significantly associated with lower facial symmetry (standardized path coefficient −.25, p=.03). By contrast, midlife SES was not significantly associated with symmetry. The relationship was stronger in men (−.44, p=.03) than in women (−.12, p=.37), and the effect sizes were significantly different in magnitude (p=.004). These findings suggest that SES in early life (but not later in life) is associated with developmental disturbances. Facial symmetry appears to provide an effective record of early perturbations, whereas bodily symmetry seems relatively imperturbable. As bodily and facial symmetries were sensitive to different influences, they should not be treated as interchangeable. However, markers of childhood disturbance remain many decades later, suggesting that early development may account in part for associations between SES and health through the lifecourse. Future research should clarify which elements of the environment cause these perturbations.

Suggested Citation

  • Hope, David & Bates, Timothy & Penke, Lars & Gow, Alan J. & Starr, John M. & Deary, Ian J., 2013. "Symmetry of the face in old age reflects childhood social status," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 236-244.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:11:y:2013:i:2:p:236-244
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2011.06.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Qing Wang & Huyang Zhang & John A. Rizzo & Hai Fang, 2018. "The Effect of Childhood Health Status on Adult Health in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, January.
    2. José Antonio Muñoz-Reyes & Marta Iglesias-Julios & Miguel Pita & Enrique Turiegano, 2015. "Facial Features: What Women Perceive as Attractive and What Men Consider Attractive," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Moodie, Joanna E. & Ritchie, Stuart J. & Cox, Simon R. & Harris, Mathew A. & Muñoz Maniega, Susana & Valdés Hernández, Maria C. & Pattie, Alison & Corley, Janie & Bastin, Mark E. & Starr, John M. & Wa, 2020. "Fluctuating asymmetry in brain structure and general intelligence in 73-year-olds," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    4. Weisensee, Katherine E. & Spradley, M. Katherine, 2018. "Craniofacial asymmetry as a marker of socioeconomic status among undocumented Mexican immigrants in the United States," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 122-127.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Facial fluctuating asymmetry; Symmetry; Socioeconomic status; Developmental origins;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General

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