title: The contribution of childhood and adult socioeconomic position to adult obesity and smoking behaviour: an international comparison.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our objective was to investigate the contribution of childhood and adult socioeconomic position (SEP) to adult obesity and smoking behaviour, in particular to establish the role of childhood circumstances across different studies in Europe and the US.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven population-based surveys in six Western countries (Britain, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, US) were examined, with participants aged 30-50 yr and born between 1910 and 1960. Adult smoking was analysed using three outcomes (ever, current, or ex-) and adult obesity was defined as body mass index (kg/m(2)) > or =30.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A strong effect of adult social position was observed for smoking outcomes and obesity. For example, manual SEP in adulthood increased the risk of ever smoking (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.47-2.00 for men; 0.94-1.81 for women), and obesity (adjusted OR 1.06-2.24 for men, 1.21-3.26 for women). In most studies, childhood position was not associated with ever-smoking. For current smoking, manual childhood position was associated among women (adjusted OR 1.09-1.54), but no consistent pattern was seen for men. For ex-smoking, manual childhood origins lowered the chance of quitting among women (adjusted OR 0.64-0.81) except in the US (OR = 1.17); among men this association was seen in fewer studies (adjusted OR 0.74-1.09). For obesity, manual origins increased the risk for women (adjusted OR 0.96-2.50); effects were weaker among men but mostly in the same direction (adjusted OR 0.79-1.42).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As expected, adult SEP was an important influence on smoking behaviour and obesity. In addition, factors related to disadvantaged social origins appeared to increase the risk of obesity and reduce the probability of quitting smoking in adulthood, particularly in women.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, WC1N 1EH London, UK. C.Power@ich.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Due
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallqvist
authors.forename: Inez
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Joung
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuh
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012306:Risk; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology