Socioeconomic position in childhood and cardiovascular risk factors in older Spanish people

Objective To investigate the association between childhood social class and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly. Methods Cross-sectional study of 4009 subjects representative of the Spanish non-institutionalized population aged greater than or equal to60 years, for whom information was available on father's occupation. We estimated the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol intake. Results Belonging to a working social class in childhood is associated with increased hypertension, having ever smoked, and heavy alcohol intake, independent of adult social class in men. No association was found between social class in childhood and the other cardiovascular risk factors in men. Belonging to a working social class in childhood is associated with increased general obesity, abdominal obesity, diabetes mellitus, and physical inactivity in women, but the size of the association for abdominal obesity and diabetes mellitus decreases and the statistical significance disappears after adjusting for adult social class. The highest smoking prevalence was observed in women who were in social class I in childhood and the lowest in women who were in social class IV. Conclusions The results of this study show increased prevalence of some cardiovascular risk factors in men who belong to a working social class in childhood, but they do not support the existing evidence about an association between adverse social circumstances in childhood and increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in later life in women.