Dataset Information

Childhood socioeconomic position and objectively measured physical capability levels in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Grip strength, walking speed, chair rising and standing balance time are objective measures of physical capability that characterise current health and predict survival in older populations. Socioeconomic position (SEP) in childhood may influence the peak level of physical capability achieved in early adulthood, thereby affecting levels in later adulthood. We have undertaken a systematic review with meta-analyses to test the hypothesis that adverse childhood SEP is associated with lower levels of objectively measured physical capability in adulthood.

Methods and findings

Relevant studies published by May 2010 were identified through literature searches using EMBASE and MEDLINE. Unpublished results were obtained from study investigators. Results were provided by all study investigators in a standard format and pooled using random-effects meta-analyses. 19 studies were included in the review. Total sample sizes in meta-analyses ranged from N?=?17,215 for chair rise time to N?=?1,061,855 for grip strength. Although heterogeneity was detected, there was consistent evidence in age adjusted models that lower childhood SEP was associated with modest reductions in physical capability levels in adulthood: comparing the lowest with the highest childhood SEP there was a reduction in grip strength of 0.13 standard deviations (95% CI: 0.06, 0.21), a reduction in mean walking speed of 0.07 m/s (0.05, 0.10), an increase in mean chair rise time of 6% (4%, 8%) and an odds ratio of an inability to balance for 5s of 1.26 (1.02, 1.55). Adjustment for the potential mediating factors, adult SEP and body size attenuated associations greatly. However, despite this attenuation, for walking speed and chair rise time, there was still evidence of moderate associations.

Conclusions

Policies targeting socioeconomic inequalities in childhood may have additional benefits in promoting the maintenance of independence in later life.

SUBMITTER: Birnie K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3027621 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Childhood socioeconomic position and objectively measured physical capability levels in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Birnie Kate K Cooper Rachel R Martin Richard M RM Kuh Diana D Sayer Avan Aihie AA Alvarado Beatriz E BE Bayer Antony A Christensen Kaare K Cho Sung-il SI Cooper Cyrus C Corley Janie J Craig Leone L Deary Ian J IJ Demakakos Panayotes P Ebrahim Shah S Gallacher John J Gow Alan J AJ Gunnell David D Haas Steven S Hemmingsson Tomas T Inskip Hazel H Jang Soong-nang SN Noronha Kenya K Osler Merete M Palloni Alberto A Rasmussen Finn F Santos-Eggimann Brigitte B Spagnoli Jacques J Starr John J Steptoe Andrew A Syddall Holly H Tynelius Per P Weir David D Whalley Lawrence J LJ Zunzunegui Maria Victoria MV Ben-Shlomo Yoav Y Hardy Rebecca R

PloS one 20110126 1

<h4>Background</h4>Grip strength, walking speed, chair rising and standing balance time are objective measures of physical capability that characterise current health and predict survival in older populations. Socioeconomic position (SEP) in childhood may influence the peak level of physical capability achieved in early adulthood, thereby affecting levels in later adulthood. We have undertaken a systematic review with meta-analyses to test the hypothesis that adverse childhood SEP is associated ...[more]

PMID: 21297868

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectiveTo do a quantitative systematic review, including published and unpublished data, examining the associations between individual objective measures of physical capability (grip strength, walking speed, chair rising, and standing balance times) and mortality in community dwelling populations.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesRelevant studies published by May 2009 identified through literature searches using Embase (from 1980) and Medline (from 1950) and manual searching of reference lists; unpublished results were obtained from study investigators.Study selectionEligible observational studies were those done in community dwelling people of any age that examined the association of at least one of the specified measures of physical capability (grip strength, walking speed, chair rises, or standing balance) with mortality.Data synthesisEffect estimates obtained were pooled by using random effects meta-analysis models with heterogeneity between studies investigated.ResultsAlthough heterogeneity was detected, consistent evidence was found of associations between all four measures of physical capability and mortality; those people who performed less well in these tests were found to be at higher risk of all cause mortality. For example, the summary hazard ratio for mortality comparing the weakest with the strongest quarter of grip strength (14 studies, 53 476 participants) was 1.67 (95% confidence interval 1.45 to 1.93) after adjustment for age, sex, and body size (I(2)=84.0%, 95% confidence interval 74% to 90%; P from Q statistic <0.001). The summary hazard ratio for mortality comparing the slowest with the fastest quarter of walking speed (five studies, 14 692 participants) was 2.87 (2.22 to 3.72) (I(2)=25.2%, 0% to 70%; P=0.25) after similar adjustments. Whereas studies of the associations of walking speed, chair rising, and standing balance with mortality have only been done in older populations (average age over 70 years), the association of grip strength with mortality was also found in younger populations (five studies had an average age under 60 years).ConclusionsObjective measures of physical capability are predictors of all cause mortality in older community dwelling populations. Such measures may therefore provide useful tools for identifying older people at higher risk of death.

Project description:BackgroundCardiovascular health shows significant socioeconomic inequalities, however there is little understanding of the role of early adulthood in generation of these inequalities. We assessed the contribution of socioeconomic trajectories during early adulthood (16-24 years) to cardiovascular health in mid-adulthood (46 years).MethodsParticipants from the 1970 British Cohort Study with socioeconomic data available in early adulthood were included (n=12 423). Longitudinal latent class analysis identified socioeconomic trajectories, based on patterns of economic activity throughout early adulthood. Cardiometabolic risk factors (46 years) were regressed on socioeconomic trajectory class (16-24 years), testing mediation by adult socioeconomic position (46 years). Models were stratified by sex and adjusted for childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and adolescent health.ResultsSix early adulthood socioeconomic trajectories were identified: (1) Continued Education (20.2%), (2) Managerial Employment (16.0%), (3) Skilled Non-manual Employment (20.9%), (4) Skilled Manual Employment (18.9%), (5) Partly Skilled Employment (15.8%) and (6) Economically Inactive (8.1%). The 'Continued Education' trajectory class showed the best cardiovascular health at age 46 years, with the lowest levels of cardiometabolic risk factors. For example, systolic blood pressure was 128.9 mm Hg (95% CI 127.8 to 130.0) among men in the 'Continued Education' class, compared with 131.3 mm Hg (95% CI 130.4 to 132.2) among men in the 'Skilled Manual' class. Patterns across classes 2-6 differed by risk factor and sex. The observed associations were largely not mediated by SEP at age 46 years.ConclusionFindings suggest an independent contribution of early adulthood socioeconomic trajectories to development of later life cardiovascular inequalities. Further work is needed to understand mediators of this relationship and potential for interventions to mitigate these pathways.

Dataset Information

Childhood socioeconomic position and objectively measured physical capability levels in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background

Methods and findings

Conclusions

Publications

Childhood socioeconomic position and objectively measured physical capability levels in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets