Early-life school, neighbourhood and family influences on adult health: a multilevel cross-classified analysis of the Aberdeen children of the 1950s study

Dundas, R. , Leyland, A. H. and Macintyre, S. (2014) Early-life school, neighbourhood and family influences on adult health: a multilevel cross-classified analysis of the Aberdeen children of the 1950s study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 180(2), pp. 197-207. (doi: 10.1093/aje/kwu110)

[img]
Preview
Text
93251.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

272kB

Abstract

Lifetime exposures to adverse social environments influence adult health, as do exposures in early life. It is usual to examine the influences of school on teenage health and of adult area of residence on adult health. We examined the combined long-term association of the school attended, as well as the area of residence in childhood, with adult health. A total of 6,285 children from Aberdeen, Scotland, who were aged 5–12 years in 1962, were followed up at a mean age of 47 years in 2001. Cross-classified multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate the associations of family, school, and area of residence with self-reported adult health and mental health, adjusting for childhood family-, school-, and neighborhood-level factors, as well as current adult occupational position. Low early-life social position (as determined by the father's occupational level) was associated with poor adult self-rated health but not poor mental health. There were small contextual associations between childhood school environment (median odds ratio = 1.08) and neighborhood environment (median odds ratio = 1.05) and adult self-rated health. The share of the total variance in health at the family level was 10.1% compared with 89.6% at the individual level. Both socioeconomic context and composition in early life appear to have an influence on adult health, even after adjustment for current occupational position.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Macintyre, Professor Sally and Leyland, Professor Alastair and Dundas, Professor Ruth
Authors: Dundas, R., Leyland, A. H., and Macintyre, S.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU
Journal Name:American Journal of Epidemiology
Journal Abbr.:Am. J. Epidemiol.
Publisher:Oxford University Press
ISSN:0002-9262
ISSN (Online):1476-6256
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2014 The Authors
First Published:First published in American Journal of Epidemiology 180(2):197-207
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License
Related URLs:

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record

Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
656601Measuring Health, Variations in Health and Determinants of HealthAlastair LeylandMedical Research Council (MRC)MC_UU_12017/5IHW - MRC/CSO SPHU
656621Social Patterning of Health over the LifecourseTimothy PophamMedical Research Council (MRC)MC_UU_12017/7IHW - MRC/CSO SPHU