Influence of parental occupation on coronary heart disease risk factors in children. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
BACKGROUND
The influence of parental occupation on selected coronary heart disease risk factors was studied in a cohort of Finnish children aged 9, 12 and 15 years (n = 1211) as part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 1986.


METHODS
The relationships of parental occupation to serum lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations, blood pressure, obesity, smoking, physical activity, diet and birthweight were examined. The occupation of the parents was obtained by a questionnaire and classified as I: upper non-manual (22%), II: lower non-manual (26%), III: upper manual (32%), IV: lower manual (5%) and F: farmers (15%).


RESULTS
Highest serum total and how density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were found in classes IV and F. Boys from class IV had 7.1% higher total cholesterol concentrations compared to class I (4.98 mmol/l versus 4.65 mmol/l, P = 0.0033), whereas farmers' girls had 10.4% higher concentrations than girls from class III (5.31 mmol/l versus 4.81 mmol/l, P = 0.0057). Blood pressure was related to parental occupation only in boys, and the values were highest in class F. Boys from class IV smoked most often, and they also had lowest values for physical activity index and highest obesity indices. Farmers' children consumed significantly more saturated fat and cholesterol than children from other classes. In boys, the percentage of subjects with a low birthweight (< or = 10th percentile) was smallest in class I and greatest in class IV (7.1% versus 20.7%, P = 0.0330).


CONCLUSIONS
Socioeconomic status based on parental occupation is associated with several coronary heart disease risk factors already present in children. These differences should be taken into account in prevention programmes aimed at children at an increased risk for developing coronary heart disease as adults.
Leino
M
M
Cardiorespiratory Research Unit, University of Turku, Finland.
Porkka
K V
KV
Raitakari
O T
OT
Laitinen
S
S
Taimela
S
S
Viikari
J S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D012923:Social Class
D001053:Apolipoproteins; D008055:Lipids