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Life course accumulation of disadvantage: childhood health and hazard exposure during adulthood

Author

Listed:
  • Holland, P.
  • Berney, L.
  • Blane, D.
  • Davey Smith, G.
  • Gunnell, D. J.
  • Montgomery, S. M.

Abstract

The present paper examines the association between physical and social disadvantage during childhood and lifetime exposure to health-damaging environments. Study members were participants of Boyd Orr's clinical, social and dietary survey conducted between 1937 and 1939 and were aged between 5 and 14 years at clinical examination. Study participants were traced and between 1997 and 1998 a random sample of 294 were interviewed. The lifegrid interview method was used to collect full occupational, residential and household histories, from which accumulated lifetime exposures to a range of environmental hazards were estimated. Age-adjusted height during childhood was found to be inversely related to subsequent exposure to all hazards combined (males p=0.002; females p=0.001). This relationship was found in males with manual fathers (p=0.044) and females with non-manual fathers (p=0.035). Chronic disease during childhood was also associated with greater subsequent hazard exposure in males with manual fathers (p=0.008). Among females with non-manual fathers, in contrast, chronic disease during childhood was associated with reduced subsequent hazard exposure (p=0.05). These findings suggest that exposure to health-damaging environments during adulthood may accumulate on top of health disadvantage during childhood and that this process of life course accumulation of disadvantage may vary by gender and childhood social class.

Suggested Citation

  • Holland, P. & Berney, L. & Blane, D. & Davey Smith, G. & Gunnell, D. J. & Montgomery, S. M., 2000. "Life course accumulation of disadvantage: childhood health and hazard exposure during adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 50(9), pages 1285-1295, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:50:y:2000:i:9:p:1285-1295
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kris Inwood & Les Oxley & Evan Roberts, 2008. "Physical stature and its interpretation in nineteenth century New Zealand," Working Papers in Economics 08/22, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    2. Grzegorz Bulczak & Alexi Gugushvili & Olga Zelinska, 2022. "How are social origin, destination and mobility linked to physical, mental, and self-rated health? Evidence from the United States," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 3555-3585, October.
    3. Almquist, Ylva B. & Brännström, Lars, 2012. "Childhood Peer Status and the Clustering of Adverse Living Conditions in Adulthood," Working Paper Series 1/2012, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    4. Kris Inwood & Evan Roberts, 2010. "Longitudinal Studies Of Human Growth And Health: A Review Of Recent Historical Research," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 801-840, December.
    5. Mariachiara Di Cesare & Ricardo Sabates, 2013. "Access to antenatal care and children’s cognitive development: a comparative analysis in Ethiopia, Peru, Vietnam and India," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(3), pages 459-467, June.
    6. Gindo Tampubolon, 2015. "Growing Up in Poverty, Growing Old in Infirmity: The Long Arm of Childhood Conditions in Great Britain," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Tampubolon, Gindo, 2010. "Recall error and recall bias in life course epidemiology," MPRA Paper 23847, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Elwell-Sutton, Timothy M. & Jiang, Chao Qiang & Zhang, Wei Sen & Cheng, Kar Keung & Lam, Tai Hing & Leung, Gabriel M. & Schooling, C.M., 2011. "Socioeconomic influences at different life stages on health in Guangzhou, China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(11), pages 1884-1892, June.
    9. Steven Prus, 2007. "Age, SES, and Health: A Population Level Analysis of Health Inequalities over the Life Course," Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population Research Papers 181, McMaster University.
    10. Mel Bartley & Ian Plewis, 2007. "Increasing social mobility: an effective policy to reduce health inequalities," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 170(2), pages 469-481, March.
    11. Elovainio, Marko & Kivimäki, Mika & Ek, Ellen & Vahtera, Jussi & Honkonen, Teija & Taanila, Anja & Veijola, Juha & Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta, 2007. "The effect of pre-employment factors on job control, job strain and psychological distress: A 31-year longitudinal study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 187-199, July.
    12. Emmanuelle Cambois, 2004. "Occupational and educational differentials in mortality in French elderly people," Demographic Research Special Collections, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 2(11), pages 277-304.
    13. Mäkinen, Tomi & Laaksonen, Mikko & Lahelma, Eero & Rahkonen, Ossi, 2006. "Associations of childhood circumstances with physical and mental functioning in adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(8), pages 1831-1839, April.
    14. Almquist, Ylva B. & Brännström, Lars, 2014. "Childhood peer status and the clustering of social, economic, and health-related circumstances in adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 67-75.

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