Socioeconomic position in childhood and cardiovascular risk factors in older Spanish people.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between childhood social class and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 4009 subjects representative of the Spanish non-institutionalized population aged >or =60 years, for whom information was available on father's occupation. We estimated the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol intake.


RESULTS
Belonging to a working social class in childhood is associated with increased hypertension, having ever smoked, and heavy alcohol intake, independent of adult social class in men. No association was found between social class in childhood and the other cardiovascular risk factors in men. Belonging to a working social class in childhood is associated with increased general obesity, abdominal obesity, diabetes mellitus, and physical inactivity in women, but the size of the association for abdominal obesity and diabetes mellitus decreases and the statistical significance disappears after adjusting for adult social class. The highest smoking prevalence was observed in women who were in social class I in childhood and the lowest in women who were in social class IV.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study show increased prevalence of some cardiovascular risk factors in men who belong to a working social class in childhood, but they do not support the existing evidence about an association between adverse social circumstances in childhood and increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in later life in women.
Regidor
Enrique
E
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Cuidad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain. enriqueregidor@hotmail.com
Banegas
José R
JR
Gutiérrez-Fisac
Juan L
JL
Domínguez
Vicente
V
Rodríguez-Artalejo
Fernando
F
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking; D012923:Social Class; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology