Dataset Information

The effect of life course socioeconomic position on crystallised cognitive ability in two large UK cohort studies: a structured modelling approach.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

This study systematically compared accumulation, sensitive period, critical period and social mobility models relating life course socioeconomic position (SEP) and adult crystallised cognitive ability, which has not been comprehensively investigated.

Design

Two prospective cohort studies.

Participants

Five thousand three hundred and sixty-two participants in the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) Birth Cohort Study and 10?308 participants in the Whitehall II Occupational Cohort Study.

Measures

Childhood SEP was measured by father's occupational SEP, early adulthood SEP by educational qualifications and adult SEP by own occupational SEP. Each life course model was compared with a saturated model.

Results

Using multiple imputation to account for missing data, the sensitive period model, which contained childhood, early adulthood and adult SEP terms, with different coefficients, provided the best fit for both men and women in the NSHD and Whitehall II cohorts. Early adulthood SEP had the largest coefficient in NSHD women, whereas for NSHD men early adulthood and adult SEP had similar coefficients. In Whitehall II adult SEP had the largest effect size for both men and women.

Conclusions

Sensitive period with all three time periods was the most appropriate life course models for adult crystallised cognitive ability in both cohorts, including an effect of childhood SEP. It is important to directly compare the life course models to determine which is the most appropriate.

SUBMITTER: Landy R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5541359 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The effect of life course socioeconomic position on crystallised cognitive ability in two large UK cohort studies: a structured modelling approach.

Landy Rebecca R Head Jenny J Richards Marcus M Hardy Rebecca R

BMJ open 20170602 5

<h4>Objectives</h4>This study systematically compared accumulation, sensitive period, critical period and social mobility models relating life course socioeconomic position (SEP) and adult crystallised cognitive ability, which has not been comprehensively investigated.<h4>Design</h4>Two prospective cohort studies.<h4>Participants</h4>Five thousand three hundred and sixty-two participants in the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) Birth Cohort Study and 10 30 ...[more]

PMID: 28576891

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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: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

The effect of life course socioeconomic position on crystallised cognitive ability in two large UK cohort studies: a structured modelling approach.

Objectives

Design

Participants

Measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The effect of life course socioeconomic position on crystallised cognitive ability in two large UK cohort studies: a structured modelling approach.

Similar Datasets

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