Dataset Information

Socioeconomic position across life and body composition in early old age: findings from a British birth cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies have reported associations between lower lifetime socioeconomic position (SEP) and higher body mass index in adulthood, but few have examined associations with direct measures of fat and lean mass which are likely to have independent roles in health and physical functioning.

Methods

We examined associations of SEP across life with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measures of fat and lean mass at 60-64 years using data from a total of 1558 men and women participating in the Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development. We also examined whether associations of childhood SEP with fat and lean mass were explained by preadulthood weight gain (birth weight, 0-7 and 7-20 years) and adult SEP.

Results

Lower SEP across life was associated with higher fat mass and higher android to gynoid fat mass ratio. For example, the mean difference in fat mass index comparing the lowest with the highest paternal occupational class at 4 years (slope index of inequality) was 1.04 kg/m(1.2) in men (95% CI 0.09 to 1.99) and 2.61 in women (1.34 to 3.89), equivalent to a 8.6% and 16.1% difference, respectively. After adjustment for fat mass, lower SEP across life was associated with lower lean mass in women, while only contemporaneous household income was associated in men. Associations between childhood SEP and outcomes were partly explained by preadulthood weight gain and adult SEP.

Conclusions

This study identified lifetime socioeconomic patterning of fat and lean mass in early old age. This is likely to have important implications and may partly explain socioeconomic inequalities in health and physical functioning.

SUBMITTER: Bann D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4033171 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Socioeconomic position across life and body composition in early old age: findings from a British birth cohort study.

Bann David D Cooper Rachel R Wills Andrew K AK Adams Judith J Kuh Diana D

Journal of epidemiology and community health 20140224 6

<h4>Background</h4>Previous studies have reported associations between lower lifetime socioeconomic position (SEP) and higher body mass index in adulthood, but few have examined associations with direct measures of fat and lean mass which are likely to have independent roles in health and physical functioning.<h4>Methods</h4>We examined associations of SEP across life with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measures of fat and lean mass at 60-64 years using data from a total of 1558 men and women ...[more]

PMID: 24567442

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionThe relation between socioeconomic position (SEP) and obesity measured by body mass index (BMI) has been extensively reviewed, but there is less research on the association between SEP and body composition. Fat distribution and muscle quality have been linked to adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and poor physical capability. There is some evidence of secular changes in body composition with increasing fat-mass and reducing muscle quantity and strength, but it is unclear whether there have been secular changes in social inequalities in body composition. The aim is to perform a systematic review of the existing literature on the association between SEP and body composition and to explore any secular changes.MethodsThe systematic review will be carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. An electronic search of MEDLINE and Embase Classic + Embase will be conducted using OvidSP as the database interface, as well as SPORTDiscus using EBSCO. Two independently working reviewers will initially screen abstracts to exclude papers that are clearly ineligible, followed by a full-text screening to exclude papers not meeting all inclusion criteria. Any disagreements will be resolved through discussion. Data extraction and quality assessment of eligible papers will be carried out by 2 reviewers using a standardised form. The reference lists of identified papers will be searched for additional papers. Original studies in the English language, which examine the association between SEP at any age and body composition at the same or later age will be included if they use any recognised measures of SEP (e.g. income, occupation, over-crowding) and a recognised measure of body composition (total, proportional or location of fat mass and fat-free mass, using any appropriate methods, excluding anthropometry). Due to expected heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis is expected, with a descriptive summary to be provided in tables. If there is consistency in reporting of associations, a random-effects meta-analysis will be used to provide an overall summary estimate.DiscussionThe results of the review will summarise the existing evidence on social inequalities in body composition. Findings will identify gaps in knowledge and where further research is required.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42019119937.

Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the effect of pubertal timing, assessed in adolescence, on bone size, strength and density in men and women in early old age.DesignA British birth cohort study with prospective indicators of pubertal timing based on age at menarche, clinical assessment of pubertal stage, and growth tempo from serial height measures, and bone measures derived from peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 60-64 years of age among 866 women and 792 men.MethodsA first set of regression models investigated the relationships between pubertal timing and bone size, strength and density, adjusting for current height and weight, smoking and adult socioeconomic position. To make an equivalent comparison between men and women, the percentage difference in bone outcomes was calculated for a 5-year difference in age at menarche, and in men a comparison between those who were fully mature or pre-adolescent at 14.5 years. A second set of models investigated the percentage difference in bone outcomes for a 5-year difference in timing of peak height velocity (height tempo) derived from longitudinal growth modelling (Superimposition by Translation and Rotation model; SITAR).ResultsAfter adjustment for current height and weight, a 5-year increase in age at menarche was associated with an 8% [95% confidence interval (CI) -17%, 0.5%, P = 0.07) lower trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD); men who were pre-adolescent at 14.5 years had a 9%, (95% CI -14%, -4%; P = 0.001) lower trabecular vBMD compared with those who had been fully mature. Other confounders did not attenuate these estimates further. Patterns of association were similar but somewhat weaker for lumbar spine and total hip areal BMD. Age at peak height velocity was associated with even larger differences in BMD in men and women, and was negatively associated with bone size and strength.ConclusionsThe association between later puberty and lower BMD persists into early old age. The 9-10% lower trabecular vBMD in later compared with earlier maturers could be clinically important given a rate of bone loss from midlife of 1-2% a year and the negative association between BMD and fracture.

Project description:IntroductionMultiple systematic reviews have investigated the relation between socioeconomic position (SEP) and body mass index (BMI) throughout the life course. However, BMI does not capture quantity and distribution of fat and muscle, which are better indicators of obesity than BMI, and have been independently linked to adverse health outcomes. Less is known about the relation between SEP and body composition, and the literature has not been reviewed. We therefore systematically reviewed the literature on the association between life course SEP and body composition in adulthood.MethodsA protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019119937), and the review followed PRISMA guidelines. An electronic search of three databases (MEDLINE, Embase Classic + Embase and SPORTDiscus) was conducted. Original studies in the English language were included that examine the association between any recognised measure of SEP at any age and body composition (fat mass, fat-free mass, ratio and distribution) in adulthood, measured using a direct technique, i.e., not an anthropometric measure. A narrative synthesis was conducted.ResultsA total of 47 papers were included in the final review, none were from low-income countries (LICs). Greater advantage in childhood and adulthood was associated with lower fat levels in high-income countries (HICs). Associations in the opposite direction were found exclusively in middle-income countries (MICs). No studies in MICs reported associations for childhood SEP. For measures of lean mass, the majority of papers reported no association, or greater advantage in adulthood associated with higher lean mass, with little variation between HICs and MICs. Associations in HICs are more often observed in women than men.ConclusionThe results indicate that fat measures follow similar patterns to those seen for BMI, and that women in HICs are more likely to experience inequalities in both fat and lean measures. Further research in LICs and MICs is needed.

Dataset Information

Socioeconomic position across life and body composition in early old age: findings from a British birth cohort study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Socioeconomic position across life and body composition in early old age: findings from a British birth cohort study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets