Lifecourse socioeconomic position and dietary intakes and patterns in the Jackson Heart Study

Abstract

Prior work examining the associations of socioeconomic position (SEP) and diet has used individual and neighborhood‐level measures at one point in adulthood and do not consider SEP over the life‐course. Using data from 4,771 Jackson Heart Study participants (21–95 years of age; 63.6% women), we examined the relation of childhood SEP (a summary score of parental education and childhood resources), adulthood SEP (a summary score of income, education and wealth), and neighborhood SEP (median household income) with dietary intakes and patterns. In multi‐level models adjusted for age, sex and total energy, lower childhood, adulthood and neighborhood SEP were generally associated with lower intakes of protein, fiber, whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Independent associations were most consistent for adulthood SEP followed by neighborhood and childhood SEP. Adulthood and neighborhood SEP were inversely, though not independently, associated with a Southern dietary pattern. Unexpectedly, childhood and adulthood SEP were positively associated with a Fast Food dietary pattern, though the associations were not independent of the other SEP measures. Adulthood SEP was positively and independently associated with a Prudent (or healthy) diet pattern. These findings suggest that SEP at different points throughout the life‐course contribute differently to dietary intakes and patterns in African Americans.