Occupational mobility and carotid artery intima-media thickness: findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether a 10-year change in occupational standing is related to carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) 5 years later.


METHODS
Data were obtained from 2350 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Occupational standing was measured at the Year 5 and 15 CARDIA follow-up examinations when participants were 30.2 (standard deviation = 3.6) and 40.2 (standard deviation = 3.6) years of age, respectively. IMT (common carotid artery [CCA], internal carotid artery [ICA], and bulb) was measured at Year 20. Occupational mobility was defined as the change in occupational standing between Years 5 and 15 using two semicontinuous variables. Analyses controlled for demographics, CARDIA center, employment status, parents' medical history, own medical history, Year 5 Framingham Risk Score, physiological risk factors and health behaviors averaged across the follow-up, and sonography reader.


RESULTS
Occupational mobility was unrelated to IMT save for an unexpected association of downward mobility with less CCA-IMT (β = -0.04, p = .04). However, associations differed depending on initial standing (Year 5) and sex. For those with lower initial standings, upward mobility was associated with less CCA-IMT (β = -0.07, p = .003), and downward mobility was associated with greater CCA-IMT and bulb-ICA-IMT (β = 0.14, p = .01 and β = 0.14, p = .03, respectively); for those with higher standings, upward mobility was associated with greater CCA-IMT (β = 0.15, p = .008), but downward mobility was unrelated to either IMT measure (p values > .20). Sex-specific analyses revealed associations of upward mobility with less CCA-IMT and bulb-ICA-IMT among men only (p values < .02).


CONCLUSIONS
Occupational mobility may have implications for future cardiovascular health. Effects may differ depending on initial occupational standing and sex.
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. djanicki@andrew.cmu.edu
Denise
D
Janicki-Deverts
Sheldon
S
Cohen
Karen A
KA
Matthews
David R
DR
Jacobs
Nancy E
NE
Adler
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002322:Career Mobility; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003710:Demography; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult