Childhood socioeconomic position and physical capability in late-middle age in two birth cohorts from the Copenhagen aging and midlife biobank

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 1;13(10):e0205019. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205019. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

This study examines the association between childhood socioeconomic position and objective physical capability including new functional measures of potential relevance to a population in late-middle age. The study population covers two Danish birth cohorts followed-up in the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (age 48-58 years, 2009-2011, N = 4,204). Results from linear regression models revealed that being born in higher socioeconomic position was associated with higher jump height: Paternal occupational class four = 0.19 cm (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.44, 0.82), three = 0.59 cm (95% CI: -0.02, 1.19), two = 1.29 cm (95% CI: 0.64, 1.94), and one = 1.29 cm (95% CI: 0.45, 2.13) (reference = five); medium parental social class = 0.88 cm (95% CI: 0.03, 1.72) and high = 1.79 cm (95% CI: 0.94, 2.63) (reference = low). Higher childhood socioeconomic position was also associated with better chair rise performance and hand grip strength, while among women it was related to reduced flexibility: Medium parental social class = -1.31 cm (95% CI: -3.05, 0.42) and high = -2.20 cm (95% CI: -3.94, -0.47) (reference = low); unwed mother = 1.75 cm (95% CI: 0.36, 3.14) (reference = married). Overall, the findings suggest that higher childhood socioeconomic position is primarily related to moderately better scores in the most strenuous physical capability measures and hand grip strength among healthy adults in late-middle age.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Specimen Banks
  • Cohort Studies
  • Denmark
  • Female
  • Hand Strength / physiology
  • Health Status*
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pliability / physiology
  • Social Class*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Center for Healthy Aging (http://healthyaging.ku.dk/) established by a grant from by the Nordea Foundation. The Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (http://www.camb.dk/) has been supported by a generous grant from the VELUX FOUNDATION (grants VELUX26145, 31539). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.