Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Life course accumulation of disadvantage
T2 - childhood health and hazard exposure during adulthood
AU - Holland, Paula
AU - Berney, Lee
AU - Blane, David
AU - Smith, George D.
AU - Gunnell, D. J.
AU - Montgomery, S. M.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - The present paper examines the association between physical and social disadvantage during childhood and lifetime exposure to health-damaging environments. Study members were participants of Boyd Orr's clinical, social and dietary survey conducted between 1937 and 1939 and were aged between 5 and 14 years at clinical examination. Study participants were traced and between 1997 and 1998 a random sample of 294 were interviewed. The lifegrid interview method was used to collect full occupational, residential and household histories, from which accumulated lifetime exposures to a range of environmental hazards were estimated. Age-adjusted height during childhood was found to be inversely related to subsequent exposure to all hazards combined (males p = 0.002; females p = 0.001). This relationship was found in males with manual fathers (p = 0.044) and females with non-manual fathers (p = 0.035). Chronic disease during childhood was also associated with greater subsequent hazard exposure in males with manual fathers (p = 0.008). Among females with non-manual fathers, in contrast, chronic disease during childhood was associated with reduced subsequent hazard exposure (p = 0.05). These findings suggest that exposure to health-damaging environments during adulthood may accumulate on top of health disadvantage during childhood and that this process of life course accumulation of disadvantage may vary by gender and childhood social class.
AB - The present paper examines the association between physical and social disadvantage during childhood and lifetime exposure to health-damaging environments. Study members were participants of Boyd Orr's clinical, social and dietary survey conducted between 1937 and 1939 and were aged between 5 and 14 years at clinical examination. Study participants were traced and between 1997 and 1998 a random sample of 294 were interviewed. The lifegrid interview method was used to collect full occupational, residential and household histories, from which accumulated lifetime exposures to a range of environmental hazards were estimated. Age-adjusted height during childhood was found to be inversely related to subsequent exposure to all hazards combined (males p = 0.002; females p = 0.001). This relationship was found in males with manual fathers (p = 0.044) and females with non-manual fathers (p = 0.035). Chronic disease during childhood was also associated with greater subsequent hazard exposure in males with manual fathers (p = 0.008). Among females with non-manual fathers, in contrast, chronic disease during childhood was associated with reduced subsequent hazard exposure (p = 0.05). These findings suggest that exposure to health-damaging environments during adulthood may accumulate on top of health disadvantage during childhood and that this process of life course accumulation of disadvantage may vary by gender and childhood social class.
KW - Life course
KW - Childhood height
KW - Childhood chronic disease
KW - Lifetime hazard exposure
KW - Accumulation of disadvantage
U2 - 10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00375-5
DO - 10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00375-5
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 10728848
VL - 50
SP - 1285
EP - 1295
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
SN - 0277-9536
IS - 9
ER -