Early-life Socioeconomic Status Research Articles

Developmental epigenomic effects of maternal financial problems.

Early-life adversity as neglect or low socioeconomic status is associated with negative physical/mental health outcomes and plays an important role in health trajectories through life. The early-life environment has been shown to be encoded as changes in epigenetic markers that are retained for many years.We investigated the effect of maternal major financial problems (MFP) and material deprivation (MD) on their children's epigenome in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Epigenetic aging, measured with epigenetic clocks, was weakly accelerated with increased MFP. In subsequent EWAS, MFP, and MD showed strong, independent programing effects on children's genomes. MFP in the period from birth to age seven was associated with genome-wide epigenetic modifications on children's genome visible at age 7 and partially remaining at age 15.These results support the hypothesis that physiological processes at least partially explain associations between early-life adversity and health problems later in life. Both maternal stressors (MFP/MD) had similar effects on biological pathways, providing preliminary evidence for the mechanisms underlying the effects of low socioeconomic status in early life and disease outcomes later in life. Understanding these associations is essential to explain disease susceptibility, overall life trajectories and the transition from health to disease.

Low early life socioeconomic status and susceptibility to the common cold in adulthood: The moderating role of negative affective reactivity.

Socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood and adolescence is associated with higher risk for many physical health problems, including infectious disease, throughout the lifespan. Greater negative affective (NA) reactivity has shown similar links to greater risk for physical health conditions and altered patterns of biological functioning associated with acute respiratory infection as socioeconomic disadvantage; yet their interactive effects on physical health outcomes have not been examined. Thus, the present study examined whether NA reactivity accentuated the link between early socioeconomic disadvantage and susceptibility to the common cold. Participants were 212 adults (42% female, 18-55 years old) who completed measures of childhood socioeconomic status (SES; parental home ownership) and were subsequently exposed to a virus that causes the common cold. Participants then remained quarantined for 5 days, during which multiple indicators of viral infection and clinical illness were assessed. Before and after quarantine, participants completed a laboratory stress task to assess NA reactivity. NA reactivity moderated the relationship between parental home ownership and clinical cold diagnosis in adulthood (b = -0.11, p = .018), such that fewer years of parental home ownership was associated with increased odds for developing a cold only among adults who had greater NA reactivity (OR = 0.89, 95% confidence interval, CI [0.82, 0.96]), but not among those who had lower NA reactivity (OR = 1.01, 95% CI [0.94, 1.09]). These findings suggest that how individuals negatively react to psychosocial stressors in adulthood may exacerbate the impact of childhood SES on acute infection susceptibility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Abstract MP01: Life-Course Socioeconomic Status and the Gut Microbiome in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Introduction: Socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood and beyond may influence the gut microbiome (GMB), with implications for disease risk. Studies evaluating the relationship between life-course SES and the gut microbiome (GMB) are sparse, particularly among Hispanic/Latino individuals, who have a high prevalence of low SES. Hypothesis: Low life-course SES indicators are associated with less diversity and overall composition of the gut microbiome in United States (U.S.) Hispanic/Latino adults. Methods: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is a multi-site population-based cohort study conducted in the U.S. Childhood sanitation conditions (plumbing, sewer/septic tank), childhood SES (parental education and childhood hardship), adulthood neighborhood SES, and adulthood SES (education, income, and economic hardship) were used as life-course SES indicators. Shotgun sequencing was performed on stool samples (n=1057). Alpha-diversity was measured by the Shannon diversity index. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance was used to assess the association of SES indicators with overall microbiome composition, as measured using the Jensen-Shannon Divergence distance. Analysis of Compositions of Microbiomes was used to identify associations of life-course SES indicators with GMB species, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, U.S. or foreign-born, study center, Hispanic/Latino background, type of stool, diet quality, smoking, alcohol consumption, depressive and anxiety symptoms, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and antibiotic use. Results: Low sanitation and low SES during childhood were reported by 32% (342 of 1053) and 37% (330 of 884) of participants, respectively. In adulthood, 56% (585 of 1053) lived in a low SES neighborhood and 45% (447 of 1002) had low SES. Life-course SES indicators were not associated with GMB diversity. However, overall microbiome composition differed significantly according to childhood SES (R2 =0.28%, P = 0.04). Low childhood sanitation was associated with higher abundance of Ruminococcus torques and Clostridium lactatifermentans , and depleted abundance of Prevotella species. Low childhood SES was associated with higher abundance of species from genus Streptococcus (S. salivarius, S. parasanguinis, and S. infantis), Veillonella parvula, Prevotella stercorea, and Roseburia intestinalis. Low adulthood SES was associated with depleted abundance of species from Bacteroides, and living in a low adulthood neighborhood SES was associated with depleted abundance of species from Rikenella . Conclusion: Low childhood SES was associated with an altered GMB composition in U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults. Early-life SES may have long-term effects on GMB composition, underscoring another biological mechanism linking early childhood factors to adulthood disease.

Supplemental Material for Low Early Life Socioeconomic Status and Susceptibility to the Common Cold in Adulthood: The Moderating Role of Negative Affective Reactivity

Supplemental Material for Low Early Life Socioeconomic Status and Susceptibility to the Common Cold in Adulthood: The Moderating Role of Negative Affective Reactivity

Childhood Socioeconomic Characteristics and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Scandinavian Birth Cohort Study.

Ecological observations suggest a negative relationship between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) risk. Individual-level analyses have been inconsistent and mostly lacked refined assessments of SES. We aimed to comprehensively study the association between early-life SES and later IBD. This study included 117 493 participants from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child cohort and Swedish All Babies in Southeast Sweden cohorts. Participants were followed from birth (1997-2009) through 2021. IBD was identified through national patient registers. Questionnaire and register data were used to define parental educational level, employment, and household income level. Cox regression estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), accounting for other SES exposures and covariates (eg, parental IBD). Cohort-specific estimates were pooled using a random-effects model. During 2 024 299 person-years of follow-up, 451 participants were diagnosed with IBD (All Babies in Southeast Sweden cohort, n = 113 and Norwegian Mother, Father and Child cohort, n = 338). Early-life maternal, but not paternal, educational level was associated with later IBD (low vs high educational level; pooled aHR, 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.82; and pooled aHR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.80-1.80; respectively). Having a nonworking mother or father was not significantly associated with IBD (pooled aHR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.47-1.02; pooled aHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.45-1.37). High vs low household income level yielded a pooled aHR of 1.33 (95% CI, 0.94-1.89). Overall, results were largely consistent across cohorts. In this prospective Scandinavian cohort study, low maternal educational level was, independent of other SES and covariates, significantly associated with later IBD in her child. Further research is needed to elucidate factors that may mediate this relationship.

Early-Life Enteric Pathogen Exposure, Socioeconomic Status, and School-Age Cognitive Outcomes.

Early-life experiences of enteric infections and diarrheal illness are common in low-resource settings and are hypothesized to affect child development. However, longer-term associations of enteric infections with school-age cognitive outcomes are difficult to estimate due to lack of long-term studies. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between enteropathogen exposure in the first 2 years of life with school-age cognitive skills in a cohort of children followed from birth until 6 to 8 years in low-resource settings in Brazil, Tanzania, and South Africa. The study included participants from three sites from the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health Study who were enrolled just after birth and followed for enteric infections, diarrheal illness, and cognitive development until 2 years of age. When the children were school-age, further data were collected on reasoning skills and semantic/phonemic fluency. We estimated associations between the burden of specific enteric pathogens and etiology-specific diarrhea from 0 to 2 years with cognitive test scores at 6 to 8 years using linear regression and adjusting for confounding variables. In this study, children who carried more enteric pathogens in the first 2 years of life showed overall decreases in school-age cognitive abilities, particularly children who carried protozoa, although this was not statistically significant in this sample. Socioeconomic factors such as maternal education and income were more closely associated with school-age cognitive abilities. Early-life enteric pathogens may have a small, lasting influence on school-age cognitive outcomes, although other socioeconomic factors likely contribute more significantly.

Early socioeconomic status, social mobility and cognitive trajectories in later life: A life course perspective

Using the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 2008 to 2018 accompanied by the growth curve model, we examined the association between early socioeconomic status, social mobility, and divergent cognitive trajectories in later life within a society undergoing significant transformation. The study confirmed a positive relationship between socioeconomic status in early life and cognitive ability in later life. However, socioeconomic status in adulthood is associated with better cognitive ability in old age compared to that in childhood. Meanwhile, upward social mobility mitigates the negative correlation between socioeconomic disadvantage in early life and cognitive ability in later life. In addition, the inequality in socioeconomic status at earlier stages resulted in heterogeneous cognitive trajectories, with the double cumulative disadvantage effect resulting from education being particularly noteworthy. Thus, Chinese health policy should focus on the earlier stages of life, actively promoting inclusive family policies and improving the family's role in protecting childhood from an adverse environment. Simultaneously, education and employment fairness should be strengthened to accelerate social mobility and enhance the “Health Repair Mechanism” of the second life course.

Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences With Accelerated Epigenetic Aging in Midlife

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with the risk of poorer health, and identifying molecular mechanisms may lay the foundation for health promotion in people with ACEs. To investigate the associations of ACEs with changes in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), a biomarker associated with various health outcomes in middle-aged adults, in a population with balanced race and sex demographics. Data for this cohort study were from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Participants in CARDIA underwent 8 follow-up exams from baseline (year 0 [Y0]; 1985-1986) to Y30 (2015-2016), and participant blood DNA methylation information was obtained at Y15 (2000-2001) and Y20 (2005-2006). Individuals from Y15 and Y20 with available DNA methylation data and complete variables for ACEs and covariates were included. Data were analyzed from September 2021 to August 2022. Participant ACEs (general negligence, emotional negligence, physical violence, physical negligence, household substance abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, and household dysfunction) were obtained at Y15. The primary outcome consisted of results from 5 DNA methylation-based EAA measurements known to be associated with biological aging and long-term health: intrinsic EAA (IEAA), extrinsic EAA (EEAA), PhenoAge acceleration (PhenoAA), GrimAge acceleration (GrimAA), and Dunedin Pace of Aging Calculated From the Epigenome (DunedinPACE), measured at Y15 and Y20. Linear regression and generalized estimating equations were used to assess associations of the burden of ACEs (≥4 vs <4 ACEs) with EAA adjusting for demographics, health-related behaviors, and early life and adult socioeconomic status. A total of 895 participants for Y15 (mean [SD] age, 40.4 [3.5] years; 450 males [50.3%] and 445 females [49.7%]; 319 Black [35.6%] and 576 White [64.4%]) and 867 participants for Y20 (mean [SD] age, 45.4 [3.5] years; 432 males [49.8%] and 435 females [50.2%]; 306 Black [35.3%] and 561 White [64.7%]) were included after excluding participants with missing data. There were 185 participants with (20.7%) vs 710 participants without (79.3%) 4 or more ACEs at Y15 and 179 participants with (20.6%) vs 688 participants without (79.4%) 4 or more ACEs at Y20. Having 4 or more ACEs was positively associated with EAA in years at Y15 (EEAA: β = 0.60 years; 95% CI, 0.18-1.02 years; PhenoAA: β = 0.62 years; 95% CI = 0.13-1.11 years; GrimAA: β = 0.71 years; 95% CI, 0.42-1.00 years; DunedinPACE: β = 0.01; 95% CI, 0.01-0.02) and Y20 (IEAA: β = 0.41 years; 95% CI, 0.05-0.77 years; EEAA: β = 1.05 years; 95% CI, 0.66-1.44 years; PhenoAA: β = 0.57 years; 95% CI, 0.08-1.05 years; GrimAA: β = 0.57 years; 95% CI, 0.28-0.87 years; DunedinPACE: β = 0.01; 95% CI, 0.01-0.02) after adjusting for demographics, health-related behaviors, and socioeconomic status. In this cohort study, ACEs were associated with EAA among middle-aged adults after controlling for demographics, behavior, and socioeconomic status. These findings of the associations between early life experience and the biological aging process in midlife may contribute to health promotion in a life course perspective.

Association of early life physical and sexual abuse with premature mortality among female nurses: prospective cohort study

ObjectiveTo explore associations between early life physical and sexual abuse and subsequent risk of premature mortality (death before age 70 years).DesignProspective cohort study.SettingThe Nurses’ Health Study II (2001-19).Participants67 726 female...

Effects of early-life environment and adulthood SES on cognitive change in a multiethnic cohort.

Early-life socioeconomic status (SES) and adversity are associated with late-life cognition and risk of dementia. We examined the association between early-life SES and adversity and late-life cross-sectional cognitive outcomes as well as global cognitive decline, hypothesizing that adulthood SES would mediate these associations. Our sample (N = 837) was a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of non-Hispanic/Latino White (48%), Black (27%), and Hispanic/Latino (19%) participants from Northern California. Participant addresses were geocoded to the level of the census tract, and US Census Tract 2010 variables (e.g., percent with high school diploma) were extracted and combined to create a neighborhood SES composite. We used multilevel latent variable models to estimate early-life (e.g., parental education, whether participant ever went hungry) and adult (participant's education, main occupation) SES factors and their associations with cross-sectional and longitudinal cognitive outcomes of episodic memory, semantic memory, executive function, and spatial ability. Child and adult factors were strongly related to domain-specific cognitive intercepts (0.20-0.48 SD per SD of SES factor); in contrast, SES factors were not related to global cognitive change (0.001-0.01 SD per year per SD of SES factor). Adulthood SES mediated a large percentage (68-75%) of the total early-life effect on cognition. Early-life sociocontextual factors are more strongly associated with cross-sectional late-life cognitive performance compared to cognitive change; this effect is largely mediated through associations with adulthood SES.

Associations of early-life exposures and socioeconomic status with cognitive development at preadolescence.

The long-term relations of socioeconomic status (SES) and early-life exposures with cognitive development at preadolescence are not fully understood, especially in low SES populations. We examined associations of SES and early-life exposures including feeding practices, physical growth and infections with cognitive development among preadolescents from underprivileged communities. A prospective study was conducted among 146 healthy children from two relatively low SES Arab villages in Israel, who were recruited at age 1-9 weeks and followed until age 18 months. Information was obtained on their feeding practices, health status and growth indicators. Cognitive development at age 10-12 years was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, including the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and scores of four cognitive domains. Multiple linear regression models were performed. Nearly all the children (98%) were breastfed in infancy. Bivariate correlations were found of SES, growth indices and rates of diarrheal and respiratory illnesses in infancy, but not of feeding practices, with cognitive scores. In multivariable models, SES was positively (p<0.001) associated with all the cognitive domains (beta coefficient ranges 4.3 to 8.2). Birthweight was positively associated with FSIQ (p=0.039) and the perceptual reasoning index (p=0.002). Weight for age Z score at age 10-14 months was positively associated with the verbal comprehension index (p=0.003). The rate of respiratory illnesses was negatively associated with the perceptual reasoning index (p=0.05). SES is strongly associated with cognitive development even in relatively low SES communities. Birthweight, weight indicators and respiratory illness in infancy might affect cognitive development through preadolescence.

Late-Life Changes in Ethnoracial Self-identification: Evidence from Social Security Administrative Data

Researchers generally recognize that ethnoracial identification may shift over the life course. However, the prevalence of these shifts across cohorts and among older adults remains open questions. Using administrative data from Social Security applications from 1984 to 2007, we quantify the magnitude and direction of later-life shifts in ethnoracial self-identification between Black, White, Asian, American Indian, and Hispanic categories for the “Greatest Generation,” those born between 1901 and 1927. Overall, 2.3% of persons in these data changed their ethnoracial identification after the age of 57, with distinct patterns of change for ethnoracial subgroups. By linking to the 1940 Census, we find a positive and significant association between socioeconomic status in early life and a shift from non-White to non-Hispanic White identification in later life. We conclude that ethnoracial self-identification fluidity continues even among older adults, varying in response to social position, ethnoracial climate, and events in greater society.

Structural Inequity and Socioeconomic Status Link to Osteoporosis Diagnosis in a Population-Based Cohort of Middle-Older-Age Americans.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is an important social determinant of health inequities that has been linked to chronic conditions, including osteoporosis, but research tends to focus on socioeconomic disadvantage rather than how socioeconomic advantage may facilitate these inequities. This study accounts for structural inequities and assesses the relationship between early-life and later-life SES, and risk of osteoporosis diagnosis. Data come from the nationally representative, population-based cohort Health and Retirement Study and include individuals ages 50 to 90. The outcome variable is osteoporosis diagnosis. Logistic regression models of the relationship between SES and osteoporosis diagnosis are estimated, accounting for demographic, health, and childhood variables. Higher levels of childhood and adult SES link to lower odds of osteoporosis diagnosis. Structural inequities in income and underdiagnosis of osteoporosis among persons identifying as Black/African American were detected. Accounting for bone density scan access, inequities in osteoporosis diagnosis appear to stem from barriers to accessing health care due to financial constraints. The important role of SES and evidence of structural inequities leading to underdiagnosis suggest the critical importance of clinicians receiving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training to reduce health inequities.

Abstract B102: Multigenerational socioeconomic status and breast tissue composition in mothers and their adolescent daughters: Findings from a multiethnic cohort in New York City

Abstract Social environment may influence breast tissue composition and breast cancer risk through shaping risk factors operating in early life, adolescence, and adulthood. Socioeconomic status (SES) has been positively associated with breast cancer risk, and mammography studies in women in middle to late adulthood suggest the association might be mediated by the positive relationship between higher SES and higher breast density. Yet, the impact of SES on breast tissue composition earlier in the lifecourse has not been examined, thus limiting the ability to elucidate lifecourse social influences and pathways in the development of breast cancer. In this study, we examined if SES is associated with breast tissue composition in a New York City cohort of 216 Black and Hispanic adolescent girls (aged 11-20 years) and their mothers (aged 29-55 years). We used optical spectroscopy to measure breast tissue chromophores including water content, lipid content, and collagen content, as well as a combined optical index measure. Previous studies have shown that these measures positively (water, collagen, optical index) or negatively (lipid) correlate with mammographic breast density. Questionnaires captured SES indicators at different timepoints across generations: grandparents’ highest level of education; mother’s highest level of education at daughter’s birth; mother’s highest level of education at breast measurement; household income at daughter’s birth; and public assistance at daughter’s birth. We evaluated associations using multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age at breast measurement, percent body fat at breast measurement, race/ethnicity, and mother’s birth country. We tested for additive effect modification by age at breast measurement. In daughters, higher mother’s education at birth was associated with lower lipid content (≥ bachelor’s degree vs. &amp;lt; high school degree, β: -6.96, 95% CI: -13.64, -0.27), and higher grandmother’s education was associated with higher water content (≥ some college vs. &amp;lt; elementary school, β: 3.77, 95% CI: 0.58, 6.97). In mothers, higher household income was associated with lower lipid content ($20,000-80,000 vs. &amp;lt; $10,000, β: -4.26, 95% CI: -7.93, -0.59) and higher optical index (β: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.58), while not being on public assistance was associated with higher collagen content (β: 2.54, 95% CI: 0.74, 4.34). Mothers with some college education vs. high school degree or lower at daughter’s birth had higher water content (β: 3.81, 95% CI: 1.07, 6.54), but no association was found comparing mothers with bachelor’s degree or higher vs. high school degree or lower. Associations were not modified by age at breast measurement. This study provides novel data linking intergenerational and early life SES to breast tissue composition in adolescent girls independent of body fat and provides evidence consistent with previous mammography studies of a positive relationship between SES and breast density in adult women. Further studies are needed to explore the downstream factors mediating these relationships. Citation Format: Rebecca D. Kehm, Parisa Tehranifar, E. Jane Walter, Melissa L. White, Sabine Oskar, Julie B. Herbstman, Frederica Perera, Lothar Lilge, Rachel L. Miller, Mary Beth Terry. Multigenerational socioeconomic status and breast tissue composition in mothers and their adolescent daughters: Findings from a multiethnic cohort in New York City [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B102.

COHORT DIFFERENCES IN EARLY-LIFE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND LATE-LIFE COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN MEXICO

Abstract Socioeconomic characteristics over the life course are associated with late-life cognitive impairment. However, evidence is lacking from countries like Mexico where population aging is occurring in the context of rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. We used the Mexican Health and Aging Study to investigate differences between participants aged 60-76 in 2001 (n=5085) and 2018 (n=5947) in childhood (home with indoor toilet, parents’ education) and midlife (education, longest held occupation) socioeconomic characteristics and late life cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment was defined as a low score on &amp;gt;2 out of five assessments. Most participants in the 2018 cohort lived in a home with an indoor toilet as a child (58.1%) and 36.9% had parents who both completed at least some education compared to 41.9% and 28.7% of participants in the 2001 cohort, respectively. Men and women in 2018 had on average 2.34 and 1.83 more years of education than men and women in 2001, respectively. The percentage of women with no main job and men who worked in agriculture were lower in 2018 than 2001 (women: 27.0% vs. 34.6%; men: 23.3% vs. 30.4%). The 2018 cohort had lower odds for cognitive impairment when adjusting for age, sex, marital status, and living in a rural/urban community (OR=0.67 95% CI=0.56-0.81). This difference was reduced after adjusting for childhood socioeconomic measures (OR=0.76 95% CI=0.67-0.86) and was no longer statistically significant after adding midlife socioeconomic measures (OR=0.98 95% CI=0.86-1.12). These findings suggest that improved early-life socioeconomic conditions in Mexico contribute to birth-cohort differences in late-life cognitive impairment.

COHORT DIFFERENCES IN EARLY-LIFE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND LATE-LIFE COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN MEXICO

Abstract Socioeconomic characteristics over the life course are associated with late-life cognitive impairment. However, evidence is lacking from countries like Mexico where population aging is occurring in the context of rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. We used the Mexican Health and Aging Study to investigate differences between participants aged 60-76 in 2001 (n=5085) and 2018 (n=5947) in childhood (home with indoor toilet, parents’ education) and midlife (education, longest held occupation) socioeconomic characteristics and late life cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment was defined as a low score on &amp;gt;2 out of five assessments. Most participants in the 2018 cohort lived in a home with an indoor toilet as a child (58.1%) and 36.9% had parents who both completed at least some education compared to 41.9% and 28.7% of participants in the 2001 cohort, respectively. Men and women in 2018 had on average 2.34 and 1.83 more years of education than men and women in 2001, respectively. The percentage of women with no main job and men who worked in agriculture were lower in 2018 than 2001 (women: 27.0% vs. 34.6%; men: 23.3% vs. 30.4%). The 2018 cohort had lower odds for cognitive impairment when adjusting for age, sex, marital status, and living in a rural/urban community (OR=0.67 95% CI=0.56-0.81). This difference was reduced after adjusting for childhood socioeconomic measures (OR=0.76 95% CI=0.67-0.86) and was no longer statistically significant after adding midlife socioeconomic measures (OR=0.98 95% CI=0.86-1.12). These findings suggest that improved early-life socioeconomic conditions in Mexico contribute to birth-cohort differences in late-life cognitive impairment.

Parental SES buffers the effect of plasma pTau181 on memory among non‐Latinx White, Latinx, and non‐Latinx Black middle‐aged adults

AbstractBackgroundInclusive ADRD research should consider social and structural forces as potential sources of cognitive reserve and resilience. Characterization of neuropathology is critical for cognitive reserve research, but few cohorts have AD biomarker data in concert with sufficient sample size, population representativeness, and multi‐level, lifecourse measurement of determinants that is necessary to contribute substantial or novel evidence for when and where to intervene. We partnered with participants in a population‐representative intergenerational study in NYC to determine whether parental socioeconomic status (PSES) buffers the association of plasma pTau181 concentrations with memory among middle aged adults, and whether moderation of neuropathology is similar across racialized and ethnic groups.MethodOffspring participants were 1038 adult children (56±11‐years‐old range: 28‐88, 68% women, 12.6±4 years education, 48% Latinx tested in Spanish, 24% Latinx tested in English, 21% non‐Latinx Black, 7% non‐Latinx White) of 694 parents in a longitudinal community‐based study of Northern Manhattan residents age 65+. Blood collected from Offspring determined pTau181 concentration (Quanterix Simoa) and APOE genotype, and memory was tested with the Selective Reminding Test. PSES was measured with years of school collected directly from parents. Regression models examined associations of pTau181 concentration with memory, tested PSES as an effect modifier, and determined whether relationships differed by racial and ethnic group.ResultIn an unadjusted model, higher pTau181 concentrations predicted lower delayed recall (β = ‐0.438, 95% CI:‐0.662,‐0.214,p&lt;0.001), and this was robust to addition of offspring age, sex/gender, years of education, racial and ethnic classification, APOE status, parental age, and PSES into the model (β = ‐0.332, 95% CI:‐0.542,‐0.122,p&lt;0.001). pTau181 concentrations had a weaker relationship to delayed recall among offspring with higher PSES (β = ‐0.291, 95% CI: ‐0.540,‐0.043,p&lt;0.022) than among those with lower PSES (β = ‐0.477, 95% CI:‐0.875,‐0.078,p = 0.019), and this effect modification was similar in all race and ethnicity groups.ConclusionEvidence from a multiethnic intergenerational study suggests that early life socioeconomic conditions promote cognitive reserve against AD neuropathology. The buffering effect of parental SES was present in all groups, but because racial and ethnic minoritized groups have disproportionate exposure to low SES in childhood, interventions that reduce childhood poverty could narrow ADRD disparities.

Early Life SES, Childhood Trauma Exposures, and Cardiovascular Responses to Daily Life Stressors in Middle-aged Adults.

Dysregulation in physiological responses to stress may provide a mechanism through which low socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood negatively impacts health. Evidence linking early life SES to physiological stress responses is inconsistent. Exposure to childhood trauma may be an important source of heterogeneity accounting for mixed findings. Guided by the adaptive calibration model, we examined whether childhood SES and childhood trauma jointly predict ambulatory measures of cardiovascular responses to daily life stressors. A sample of 377 healthy, middle-aged adults (62% female, 80% White, 64% college-educated, Mage = 52.59 ± 7.16) completed a 4-day ecological momentary assessment protocol that measured task strain, social conflict, and ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively) at hourly intervals throughout the day. Average ambulatory blood pressure responses to stress were calculated by regressing momentary SBP and DBP on momentary measures of stress within the multilevel models. Early life SES and childhood trauma were measured retrospectively by self-report questionnaire. Multilevel models controlling for momentary influences on blood pressure and age, sex, and race showed no main effects of early life SES or childhood trauma on ambulatory measures of cardiovascular responses to daily life stress. An interaction emerged for DBP responses to social conflict, where individuals raised in middle SES families who experienced trauma showed a blunted response relative to those who did not ([Formula: see text]-0.93, 95% CI: [-1.62, -0.24], p = .008). There was no significant SES-trauma interaction in predicting SBP responses to social conflict or blood pressure responses to task strain. Results do not provide support for our predictions that were derived from the adaptive calibration model, but do suggest that the impacts of early childhood experiences on cardiovascular responses may vary by type of daily stress experience.

How life course socioeconomic conditions shape multimorbidity in old age – a scoping review

Abstract Multimorbidity is the co-existence of two or more chronic conditions in the same individual and is highly prevalent in ageing populations. Inequity in multimorbidity in old age could have socioeconomic roots that can be traced across the life course. It is, however, unclear if adverse socioeconomic conditions (SEC) at different periods of the life course predict the occurrence of multimorbidity in later life. We reviewed, therefore, studies assessing the association between life course SEC, measured at min. two time points, and later-life multimorbidity. We identified four studies (25,209 participants) with the first measure of SEC in childhood. In these four studies, childhood SEC was associated with multimorbidity in old age, and the associations were partially or fully attenuated upon adjustment for later-life SEC. We identified five studies (91,236 participants) with the first measure of SEC in young adulthood, and the associations with multimorbidity in old age as well as the effects of adjustment for later-life SEC differed from one study to the other. In conclusion, SEC in early life could have an effect on multimorbidity, attenuated at least partly by SEC in adulthood. Our results suggest that interventions and health promotion aiming to reduce the risk of multimorbidity in old age should target early-life socioeconomic conditions.

Infancy Dietary Patterns, Development, and Health: An Extensive Narrative Review.

Correct dietary patterns are important for a child’s health from birth to adulthood. Understanding a child’s health as a state of entire physical, mental, and social well-being is essential. However, reaching adulthood in a complete health proper state is determined by feeding and dietary habits during preconception, pregnancy, or children infancy. Different factors, such as the mother’s lifestyle, culture, or socioeconomic status, are crucial during all these phases. In this review, we aimed to assess the long-term associations between infancy dietary patterns and health and their influence on development and growth. To reach this objective, a consensus critical review was carried out using primary sources such as scientific articles, and secondary bibliographic indexes, databases, and web pages. PubMed, SciELO, and Google Scholar were the tools used to complete this research. We found that high-income countries promote high-calorie foods and, consequently, obesity problems among children are rising. However, undernutrition is a global health issue concerning children in low- and middle-income countries; thus, parental socioeconomic status in early life is essential to children’s health and development, showing that biological, social, and environmental influences are increased risk factors for chronic diseases. This narrative review is aimed to collect evidence for early nutritional intervention and future disease prevention.