title: Socioeconomic inequalities in lipid and glucose metabolism in early childhood in a population-based cohort: the ABCD-Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Socioeconomic inequalities in cardiovascular disease are pervasive, yet much remains to be understood about how they originate. The objective of this study was to explore the relations of socioeconomic status to lipid and glucose metabolism as indicators of cardiovascular health in 5-6 year olds. Additionally to explore the explanatory role of maternal factors, birth outcome, and child factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1308 5-6 year old ethnic Dutch children from the ABCD cohort study, lipids (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides), glucose and C-peptide were measured after an overnight-fast.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides between socioeconomic groups, as indicated by maternal education and income adequacy. However, children of low educated mothers had on average a higher glucose (β = 0.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03 - 0.27), logC-peptide (β = 0.07; 95% CI 0.04 - 0.09), and calculated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (β = 0.15; 95% CI 0.08 - 0.22) compared to children of high educated mothers. Only childhood BMI partly explained these differences (models controlled for age, height, and sex).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The socioeconomic gradient in cardiovascular risk factors seems to emerge in early childhood. In absence of underlying mechanisms these empirical findings are relevant for public health care and further explanatory research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.vandenberg@vumc.nl
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Manon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Eijsden
authors.forename: Tanja G M
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Vrijkotte
authors.forename: Reinoud J B J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gemke
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose