Socioeconomic trajectories and risk of hospitalization in the Moli-sani Study cohort

Abstract

Abstract Background A life course approach was used to explore the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on risk of hospitalizations for all-cause and for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods Longitudinal analyses on 19,999 subjects apparently free from CVD and cancer, recruited in the Moli-sani Study, Italy (2005-2010). Low and high SES in childhood, educational attainment (low/high) and SES during adulthood (measured by a score including material resources and dichotomized as low/high) defined the trajectories over life course. First hospital admissions were recorded by direct linkage with hospital discharge form registry. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated by multivariable Cox-regression. Results Over a median follow up of 7.3 y, we ascertained a total of 7,594 all-cause and 2,539 CVD hospitalizations. Poor childhood SES was associated with 11% and 17% increased risk of all-cause and CVD hospitalizations, respectively. Among subjects with poor childhood SES, an upward trajectory in education was associated with lower risk of hospital admission for all-cause (HR = 0.85; 95%CI 0.76-0.94) and CVD (HR = 0.78; 0.64-0.95), as opposed to subjects remained stably low (low education and adulthood SES). Individuals with high childhood SES, but not educational achievement, were at 26% increased risk of hospitalization for any cause, as compared to the stably high SES group, while failure to achieve both educational and material advancements was associated with 37% higher risk of CVD hospitalization. Conclusions In a large sample of healthy adults, social mobility (educational and/or material upward trajectories) was associated with lower incidence of hospital admissions for all-cause and CVD. Key messages Social mobility may counterbalance the negative health burden associated with low early-life SES. High SES in childhood poorly affects hospitalization risk if no additional achievements across life course occur.