Early life predictors of blood pressure in Afro-Caribbean young adults: The Jamaica 1986 birth cohort study

Abstract

Objective: In this study we examined the effects of birth weight (BWT) and early life socioeconomic circumstances (SEC) on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) among Jamaican young adults. Study Design and Setting: Longitudinal study of 364 men and 430 women from the Jamaica 1986 Birth Cohort Study. Information on maternal SEC at birth and BWT were linked to information collected at 18-20 years old. Sex-specific multilevel linear regression models were used to examine whether adult SBP and DBP were associated with BWT and maternal SEC. Results: In unadjusted models, SBP was inversely related to BWT z-score in both men and women (beta = -0.82 and -1.18, respectively) but achieved statistical significance for women only. After adjustments for current age, current BMI, current height, maternal age and mother's occupation at child's birth, a one standard deviation (SD) unit increase in BWT was associated with 1.16 mmHg reduction in SBP among men (95%CI -2.15, -0.17; p=0.021) and a 1.34 mmHg reduction in SBP among women (95%CI -2.21, -0.47; p=0.003). High maternal occupational SEC at birth was consistently associated with lowest SBP across the standardized BWT distribution. SBP was 2-4 mmHg lower among those with high SEC mothers at birth than among those whose mothers were unemployed at birth. Conclusion: SBP at 18-20 years-old was lowest among those whose mothers had high SEC at birth and was inversely related to BWT.