Mortality of the oldest old Chinese: The role of early-life nutritional status, socio-economic conditions, and sibling sex-composition

Based on a nationally representative sample of 8,099 Chinese drawn from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), this study investigated the long-term health consequences of early-life nutritional status, sibling sex-composition, childhood socio-economic conditions, and place of birth on mortality at ages 80 and above between 1998 and 2005. Better nutritional status in childhood predicted lower mortality at ages 80 and above, net of childhood circumstances, adult socio-economic status, and health behaviours. In addition, sibling sex-composition had long-term health consequences, net of childhood and adult characteristics, such that women benefited from having grown up in families with only daughters, while men benefited from having grown up in families with both sons and daughters. Childhood socio-economic status was only marginally related to old-age mortality and this association was attenuated further by the inclusion of adult characteristics. Place of birth was not a significant predictor of old-age mortality.