title: Socioeconomic indices as independent correlates of C-reactive protein in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and C-reactive protein (CRP) to understand how SES may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and thus identify targets for prevention measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Path models were used to examine direct and indirect associations of four indices of SES (objective early life built environment ratings, parental and participant education, and income) with CRP measured during early adulthood using data from the National Longitudinal Adolescent Health Study (n = 11,371; mean age = 29 years, range = 24-32 years; 53.8% women, 28.0% black participants). The present study examined potential mediation of the association of SES with CRP by way of body mass index (BMI), smoking, and alcohol consumption within white and black men and women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI was a mediator of the relation between parent education and CRP for white men (path coefficient [γ] = -0.05, p < .001) and women (γ = -0.05, p < .001). Smoking mediated the income-CRP (γ = -0.01, p < .01) and the education-CRP (γ = -0.07, p < .001) relation for white men. BMI mediated the relation between all measures of SES and CRP for white women (γ values between -0.02 and -0.05; p values < .01). None of the risk factors mediated the SES-CRP relation in black participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that the association of SES with CRP is influenced by both the timing and type of SES measure examined. In addition, race and sex play a role in how potential mediators are involved with the SES-CRP relationship, such that BMI and smoking were mediators in white men, whereas BMI was the sole mediator in white women.
authors.affiliation: Duke University Medical Center, Box 2969, Durham, NC 27710. brummett@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Beverly H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Brummett
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Babyak
authors.forename: Abanish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Redford B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Kathleen Mullan
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Ilene C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Siegler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D063588:National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D064890:Social Determinants of Health / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; add health; race; sex; socioeconomic status