Skip Navigation



IJE Advance Access published online on June 11, 2008
International Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/ije/dyn115
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Osler, M.
Right arrow Articles by Prescott, E.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Osler, M.
Right arrow Articles by Prescott, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association © The Author 2008; all rights reserved.

Childhood social circumstances and health behaviour in midlife: the Metropolit 1953 Danish male birth cohort

Merete Osler1,*, Nina S Godtfredsen2 and Eva Prescott3

1Department of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
2Department of Lung medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
3Department of Cardiology, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

*Corresponding author. Department of Social Medicine, Øster Farigmagsgade 5, 1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark. E-mail: m.osler{at}pubhealth.ku.dk


  Abstract

Background It has been suggested that the association between social disadvantage in childhood and adult mortality could come about through processes related to the family environment in which the child is raised. This study examines the relationship of fathers’ social class with health behaviour in middle age and assesses the potential mediating role of cognitive function, educational status and social integration in young adulthood in these relationships.

Methods We used data from the Metropolit cohort which includes 11 532 Danish men born in 1953 with information on fathers’ social class at participants’ birth and assessments of cognitive performance, education and social integration in early adulthood. In 2004, 6292 of these men participated in a follow-up survey on health and behaviour. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association of father's social class with smoking, alcohol drinking, leisure-time physical activity and the intake of fruit and vegetables in midlife.

Results Middle-aged men with fathers from higher social classes were more often ex-smokers, wine drinkers and daily consumers of fruit or vegetables than men with working class fathers. Leisure activities and high alcohol consumption were not related to father's social class. Cognitive function and educational achievement at age 18 attenuated the association of father's social class with adult behaviour, while indicators of social integration had very little impact on the associations.

Conclusions Father's social class influences adult smoking, alcohol preference and food intake, and a major part of the effect is mediated through cognitive function and education.

Keywords Social class, cohort, smoking, alcohol drinking, cognitive function

Accepted 14 May 2008


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.