title: Birth weight and maternal socioeconomic circumstances were inversely related to systolic blood pressure among Afro-Caribbean young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we examined the effects of birth weight (BWT) and early life socioeconomic circumstances (SEC) on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) among Jamaican young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal study of 364 men and 430 women from the Jamaica 1986 Birth Cohort Study. Information on BWT and maternal SEC at child's birth was linked to information collected at 18-20 years old. Sex-specific multilevel linear regression models were used to examine whether adult SBP/DBP was associated with BWT and maternal SEC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In unadjusted models, SBP was inversely related to BWT z-score in both men (β, -0.82 mm Hg) and women (β, -1.18 mm Hg) but achieved statistical significance for women only. In the fully adjusted model, one standard deviation increase in BWT was associated with 1.16 mm Hg reduction in SBP among men [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.15, 0.17; P = 0.021] and 1.34 mm Hg reduction in SBP among women (95% CI: 2.21, 0.47; P = 0.003). Participants whose mothers had lower SEC had higher SBP compared with those with mothers of high SEC (β, 3.4-4.8 mm Hg for men, P < 0.05 for all SEC categories and 1.8-2.1 for women, P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SBP was inversely related to maternal SEC and BWT among Jamaican young adults.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Research Institute, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kingston, Jamaica. Electronic address: trevor.ferguson02@uwimona.edu.jm.
authors.forename: Trevor S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Research Institute, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Novie O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Younger-Coleman
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Research Institute, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Marshall K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Tulloch-Reid
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Research Institute, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Knight-Madden
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Research Institute, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Nadia R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, UWI, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samms-Vaughan
authors.affiliation: School of Graduate Studies and Research, UWI, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, UWI, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Affette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCaw-Binns
authors.affiliation: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, 4 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RZ, Scotland.
authors.forename: Oarabile R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Molaodi
authors.affiliation: Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J Kennedy
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Cruickshank
authors.affiliation: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, 4 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RZ, Scotland; Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Seeromanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Research Institute, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Rainford J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wilks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001724:Birth Weight; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013599:Systole; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Birth weight; Black; Blood pressure; Caribbean; Fetal growth; Jamaica; Socioeconomic factors; Young adult