Male Birth Cohorts Research Articles

In utero exposure to the Korean War and its long-term effects on socioeconomic and health outcomes

Prenatal exposure to the disruptions caused by the Korean War (1950–1953) negatively affected the individual socioeconomic and health outcomes at older ages. The educational attainment, labor market performance, and other socioeconomic outcomes of the subjects of the 1951 birth cohort, who were in utero during the worst time of the war, were significantly lower in 1990 and in 2000. The results of difference-in-difference estimations suggest that the magnitude of the negative cohort effect is significantly larger for individuals who were more seriously traumatized by the war. Whereas the 1950 male birth cohort exhibited significantly higher disability and mortality rates at older age, the health outcomes of females are unaffected by the war. Different aspects of human capital (e.g., health and cognitive skills) were impaired by in utero exposure to the war, depending on the stage of pregnancy when the negative shocks were experienced.

Trends in smoking and lung cancer mortality in Japan, by birth cohort, 1949–2010

To determine smoking trends in Japan in comparison with lung cancer mortality. Age-specific smoking prevalence among cohorts born between 1897 and 1985 were determined for the period 1949-2010. The percentages of the cohorts born between 1893 and 1979 who initiated smoking early (e.g. before the age of 20 years) were determined. The results were compared against lung cancer mortality rates in people aged 40-84 years belonging to cohorts born between 1868 and 1968. In males, smoking prevalence was generally high, particularly among those born before the late 1950s, and early initiation was fairly uncommon. Early initiation was most common among recent birth cohorts of males, who showed relatively low prevalences of smoking. In females, the prevalence of smoking was generally low and early initiation was very uncommon, particularly among those born in the late 1930s and before the late 1940s, respectively. Recent cohorts of females showed relatively high prevalences of smoking and relatively high percentages of early initiation. In both sexes, lung cancer mortality was generally low but increased over the study period. Lung cancer mortality in Japanese males was relatively low given the high prevalence of smoking, perhaps because early initiation was fairly uncommon. Over the last four decades, however, early initiation of smoking has become more common in both sexes. The adverse effect this is likely to have on lung cancer mortality rates has probably not been observed because of the long time lag between smoking initiation and death from lung cancer.

Kai kurie tarpgeneracinio solidarumo šeimoje aspektai: Tėvų parama suaugusiems vaikams

Population aging in Western societies leads to the increasing interest in intergenerational support relationships. However, until now, the studies in this field have focused mostly on the upward family transfers from the younger to the older generation. The article discusses the role of parents in provision of support to their adult children, aiming to compare the types of given/ received assistance in different age cohorts and pursuing to reveal women’s and men’s roles as assistance providers to their adult children. These issues are explored based on the data of qualitative research, conducted in the framework of the project “Trajectories of Family Models and Social Networks: Intergenerational Dimension”. 60 face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted during June-August, 2012 in six selected regions of Lithuania (in rural areas, small and large towns, cities) by four researchers of the department of Sociology. Talking about the informants, there were 30 females and 30 males, respectively 15 persons of each of four birth cohorts: 1950-1955, 1960-1965, 1970-1975 and 1980-1985. The conceptualization of support, as proposed by E. Scabini (2006), and on the concept of solidarity, as proposed by Vern L. Bengtson and his colleagues (2001), make a theoretical framework of the conducted research. The comparison of individual cases of two birth cohorts of females and males – the “older”, who were the recipients (in the past) and providers of support, and the “younger”, who did not have adult children and themselves were supported by their parents – enabled to reveal the types and strategies of support provision during the Soviet years and a period of Independence. Analysis of interview data showed that parents’ assistance to their children remains intense even after the latter form their own family, which demonstrates the existence of strong functional solidarity in families that is transmitted from generation to generation. Women are the principal childcare givers (they take care of grandchildren), while men’s role is more important in providing some specific instrumental assistance and financial-material support.

Hormonal evidence supports the theory of selection in utero

Antagonists in the debate over whether the maternal stress response during pregnancy damages or culls fetuses have invoked the theory of selection in utero to support opposing positions. We describe how these opposing arguments arise from the same theory and offer a novel test to discriminate between them. Our test, rooted in reports from population endocrinology that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) signals fetal fitness, contributes not only to the debate over the fetal origins of illness, but also to the more basic literature concerned with whether and how natural selection in utero affects contemporary human populations. We linked maternal serum hCG measurements from prenatal screening tests with data from the California Department of Public Health birth registry for the years 2001-2007. We used time series analysis to test the association between the number of live-born male singletons and median hCG concentration among males in monthly gestational cohorts. Among the 1.56 million gestations in our analysis, we find that median hCG levels among male survivors of monthly conception cohorts rise as the number of male survivors falls. Elevated median hCG among relatively small male birth cohorts supports the theory of selection in utero and suggests that the maternal stress response culls cohorts in gestation by raising the fitness criterion for survival to birth.

Pattern of mental health service use and risk of injury: A longitudinal study

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between mental health treatment patterns and risk of injuries among a Western Australian male birth cohort. Method: A population-based birth-cohort of males born between 1980 and 1984 in Western Australia was followed up using linked health data. Results: Participants with mental health conditions were at an increased risk of injury. Those with a continuous mental health treatment pattern without interruption or window periods had lower risk of injury compared to those with treatment interruption or window periods. The adjusted incidence rate ratios (95% confidence interval) for injury among participants: 1) without a mental condition, 2) with a previous mental condition, 3) with a mental condition in the last four years and without interruption in their mental health treatment, and 4) with a mental condition in the last four years with interruptions in mental health service, were 0.38 (0.35 - 0.40), 0.77 (0.71 - 083), 1.0 (reference group) and 2.06 (1.72 - 2.47) respectively. Conclusion: Increasing resources for mental health services and enabling sufficient continuous mental health services and follow-up may reduce the risk of injury among populations with mental health conditions.

The evolution of adult height across Spanish regions, 1950–1980: A new source of data

We present new evidence concerning the evolution of adult height across Spanish regions for the 1950–1980 male and female birth cohorts, using the augmented sample of the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) for Spain. This augmented sample, available only for the year 2000, contains self-reported height data representative at the Autonomous Community level. The average heights of these two sets of birth cohorts, female and male, are found to increase by 1.7 and 1.6cm/decade, respectively. Making available a new dataset of quinquennial mean heights will allow researchers to study the determinants of population heights by means of a within-country analysis.

Prenatal exposure to organochlorine pesticides and TSH status in newborns from Southern Spain

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between prenatal exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in male newborns. MethodsExposure to 17 OCPs was analyzed in 220 placentas from a male birth cohort in Southern Spain, and TSH was measured in the umbilical cord blood. OCP concentrations were quantified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between pesticide exposure and neonatal TSH levels, adjusting for confounders. ResultsNewborn boys with higher exposure to endrin in placenta had higher odds of TSH cord blood levels ≥5mU/L (80th percentile) (OR=2.05; 95% CI=1.01, 4.18; p=0.05), whereas higher prenatal exposure to endosulfan-sulfate was associated with lower odds of TSH ≥5mU/L (OR=0.36; 95% CI=0.17, 0.77; p=0.008). A marginally significant negative association was found between TSH and hexachlorobenzene levels (β=−0.15; 95% CI=−0.31, 0.02; p=0.09), and exposure to p,p′-DDE showed a marginally-significant higher odds of TSH ≥5mU/L (OR=1.32; 95% CI=0.95, 1.83; p=0.09). No association was found between TSH and the remaining pesticides. ConclusionsEarly exposure to certain environmental chemicals with endocrine-disruption activity may interfere with neonatal thyroid hormone status; however, the pattern of interference is not yet clearly elucidated.

Self-reported teenage body size and heart failure in adults ≥ 65 years of age

Overweight during childhood and young adulthood has been associated with higher rates of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in later adulthood [ 1 Must A. Jacques P.F. Dallal G.E. Bajema C.J. Dietz W.H. Long-term morbidity and mortality of overweight adolescents. N Engl J Med. 1992; 327: 1350-1355 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1858) Google Scholar , 2 Gunnell D. Frankel S. Nanchahal K. Peters T. Davey Smith G. Childhood obesity and adult cardiovascular mortality: a 57-y follow-up study based on the Boyd Orr cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998; 67: 1111-1118 PubMed Google Scholar , 3 Nieto F.J. Szklo M. Comstock G.W. Childhood weight and growth rate as predictors of adult mortality. Am J Epidemiol. 1992; 136: 201-213 PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Hoffmans M.D. Kromhout D. Coulander C.D. Body mass index at the age of 18 and its effects on 32-year-mortality from coronary heart disease and cancer. A nested case-control study among the entire 1932 Dutch male birth cohort. J Clin Epidemiol. 1989; 42: 513-520 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (87) Google Scholar ]. However, the relationship between body size in early life and incidence of heart failure (HF) in later adulthood is not known. We hypothesized that self-reported heavier-than-average teenage body size as an early teenager (ages 11–14) would be associated with a higher rate of incident HF in adulthood. We examined this hypothesis in a cohort of community dwelling older adults.

Childhood social circumstances and body mass index in adult life: The Metropolit 1953 Danish male birth cohort

To examine whether father's social class was associated with body mass index (BMI) at age 20 and 50 years in a cohort of men born in 1953 and to explore the role of birth weight, cognitive function (IQ), and educational status in these relationships. We used data from the Metropolit cohort which includes 11,532 Danish men born in 1953 with information on father's socioeconomic position (SEP) at participant's birth and assessments of height, weight, cognitive performance, and education at age 20. In 2004, 6292 of these men participated in a follow-up survey on health and behaviour. Linear and logistic regression were used to investigate the association of father's social class with BMI among the 5117 men with complete information on all variables. Between age 20 and 50, mean BMI increased from 21.4 to 26.1 kg/m(2), while the prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m(2)) increased from 8.1 to 57.8%. Men of fathers who were skilled or unskilled workers had higher odds of being overweight (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.13-1.53) or often obese (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.03-1.60) at age 50 years compared to those with fathers being self-employed, employee, or civil servants when adjusted for the other socially correlated indicators of impaired childhood development. In the linear regression analyses, mean BMI at both age 20 and 50 were around 0.3 kg/m(2) higher in men with fathers from working class compared to those self-employed, employee, or civil servants. This study supports that among men, father's SEP influences the development of obesity later in adult life.

Alanine Transaminase Individual Variation Is a Better Marker than Socio-Cultural Factors for Body Mass Increase in Healthy Males

Overweight and obesity are considered a major burden on public health in developed countries. Underlying etiologies are enigmatic and metabolic causes have been suggested to various extents before. We analyze links of major blood parameters to individual body mass in a young male cohort, controlling for socio-cultural factors, in order to explore an underlying metabolic cause of obesity. Anthropometric (height, weight) physiologic (blood pressure) and metabolic data (total cholesterol, alanine transaminase, creatinine, postprandial glucose, blood cell counts, haemoglobin) of Swiss conscripts (N = 46,684; 18 - 20 yrs old; 2005-2007 census) were examined in the context of their socio-cultural groupings (occupation, mother tongue, religion) by ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Swiss Armed Forces recruiting is mandatory, thus each year’s group studied reflects more than 80% of a year’s male Swiss citizen birth cohort. Individual body mass index ranged from 19 kg/m2 (5th percentile) to 29 kg/m2 (95th percentile) with a median of 22 kg/m2. BMI increases significantly, even within its normal range (18.5 - 25 kg/m2) with increases in alanine transaminase (r2 = 0.10), total cholesterol (r2 = 0.08) and erythrocyte counts (r2 = 0.02). All other parameters, including socio-cultural categories, explain individually 1% or less of total BMI variation. Glucose values do not correlate with BMI significantly, thus suggesting a specific metabolic co-etiology of individual mass increases. There may occur a biochemical anomaly in liver metabolism that underlies development of the metabolic syndrome later in life. Were it so, pharmacological intervention rather than just diet and exercise regime could be more effective treatment of obesity.

Above and beyond the call. Long-term real earnings effects of British male military conscription in the post-war years

We add to the literature on the long-term economic effects of male military service. We concentrate on post-war British conscription into the armed services from 1949 to 1960. It was called National Service and applied to males aged 18 to 26. Based on a regression discontinuity design we estimate the effect of military service on the earnings of those required to serve through conscription. We argue that, in general, we should not expect to find large long-term real earnings among conscripts compared to later birth cohorts of males who were not eligible for call-up. Our empirical evidence firmly rejects the view that conscription entails relative long-term real earnings differences.

Testosterone, physical activity, and somatic outcomes among Filipino males

Testosterone (T) facilitates male investment in reproduction in part through its anabolic effects on skeletal muscle. Traits like muscle and strength are energetically costly but are believed to enhance competitive ability in humans and other mammals. However, there are limited data on relationships between T and somatic outcomes in lean, non-western populations. We evaluate relationships between waking and pre-bed salivary T and adiposity, fat-free mass (FFM), arm muscle area (AMA), and grip strength (GS) in a large, population-based birth cohort of young adult Filipino males (20.8-22.6 years, n = 872). Data were collected as part of the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Neither waking nor evening T predicted FFM, AMA, or GS. However, there were borderline or significant interactions between T and basketball playing (the most common team sport) and weight lifting as predictors of outcomes: higher waking T predicted higher FFM (activity x T interaction P < 0.01), AMA (interaction P < 0.1), and GS (interaction P < 0.02) among frequent basketball players, and GS (interaction P < 0.09) among the smaller sample of weight lifters. In contrast to clinical studies, but consistent with findings in several subsistence-level populations, T was positively related to adiposity in these lean young males, suggesting that energy status might regulate circulating T. Our findings support a role of the prewaking rise in T as a determinant of energetic allocation to lean mass and strength in the context of repeated muscular use and support the hypothesized role of T as a mediator of investment in costly somatic traits in human males.

Factors associated with reported childhood depressive symptoms at age 8 and later self-reported depressive symptoms among boys at age 18

This study aimed to study conditions associated with depressive symptoms at ages 8 and 18 in a representative birth cohort of Finnish males. The participants in this community-based 10-year follow-up study consisted of 2,348 boys born in 1981. At age 8, three informant sources were used: parents, teachers, and the children themselves. Depressive symptoms were established using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). At age 18, self-report questionnaires were used to study the boys' family factors, life events, adaptive functioning, and substance use. Depressive symptoms at age 18 were established using Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). Poor adaptive functioning at age 18 was independently associated with both child and late adolescent depressive symptoms. Use of illicit drugs and somatic health problems were independently associated with later depressive symptoms. Parental divorce in early childhood independently predicted depressive symptoms both in childhood and in late adolescence. Teacher reports of child's total problems at age 8 independently predicted depressive symptoms at age 18. Depression in males at ages 8 and 18 is particularly associated with stressful life events in childhood, whereas late depression is associated with somatic health problems and substance use. Further population-based studies comparing conditions associated with childhood and adolescent depression are needed.

Cancer incidence rate ratios of Turkish immigrants in Hamburg, Germany: A registry based study

The aim of this study was to estimate cancer incidence rate ratios for Turkish migrants in Hamburg, Germany. We used a name-based approach and identified 1346 cases with Turkish names (as a proxy of Turkish origin) among 140,249 cases of cancer registered in the cancer registry Hamburg during 1990–2005. To estimate the size of the denominator population, we applied the name-based approach to the population of Hamburg as well. The cancer incidence of specific cancer sites was compared between Turkish and non-Turkish cases using incidence rate ratios (IRR), stratified by gender and birth cohort. Our main findings are that cancer of the respiratory organs is diagnosed less frequent among Turkish men in older birth cohorts but with higher frequency in the younger birth cohorts. Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissues are slightly higher in most male Turkish men birth cohorts, and even considerably higher for the birth cohort 1961 to <1971 (IRR = 1.8). Among women, incidence rates for Turkish women are lower than for non-Turkish women for cancer of the respiratory system, skin cancer and cancer of genital organs. Also, breast cancer incidence rates of Turkish women are lower than for non-Turkish women, especially in older birth cohorts. Incidence rate ratios of neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissues are low in the 1931 to <1941 cohort (IRR = 0.71) but increase in younger birth cohorts. In conclusion, we found differences in cancer risks between cases with and without Turkish names for specific cancer sites. These results are consistent with the findings of studies from other countries.

Gender Differences in Age, Period, and Birth-Cohort Effects on the Suicide Mortality Rate in Japan, 1985-2006

Because suicide is increasingly becoming a public health threat in Japan, it is necessary to identify high-risk groups to develop effective preventive measures. The suicide mortality trends from 1985 to 2006 for Japanese aged between 15 and 79 years were analyzed by a Bayesian age-period-cohort analysis to evaluate the independent effects of age, period, and birth cohort. Age-specific effect showed an overall increase with age in both genders, but a distinct increase was noted only among men aged between 50 and 64 years. The period effect exhibited a sudden rise in 1998; this effect was more apparent in men than in women. The cohort-specific effect increased in male birth cohorts born after 1926 and in female birth cohorts born after 1956. In conclusion, a gender difference was detected in the effects of age, period, and cohort on suicide risk among Japanese.

Exposure to bullying at school and depression in adulthood: A study of Danish men born in 1953

Bullying among children is associated with high symptom load and depression. There is little knowledge about long-term consequences of bullying. The aim of the present study is to examine the association between recall of bullying at school and depression in midlife controlling for adult social class and parents' mental health. The analyses were based on the 2004 survey among men from the Metropolit 1953 Danish Male Birth Cohort (n = 6094). Information on depression was retrieved by the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) (prevalent depression) and by a measure of first doctor diagnosed depression between the ages 31-51 years (DD). Information on bullying was based on a recall measure of bullying in school categorized into three dimensions: occurrence; intensity; and duration. Compared to subjects who had never been bullied, those exposed to bullying in school were at a significantly increased risk of having been diagnosed with depression between the ages 31-51 years. Long duration and high intensity of bullying were risk factors for both MDI and DD. Inclusion of the possible confounders (SES, parental mental illness) attenuated the associations somewhat, but the associations remained statistically significant. The present comparisons of the long-term incidence of depression among middle-aged men who experienced high and low levels of bullying at school might indicate that being bullied at school is a contributing factor in the development of depression. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the effect of bullying in school on adult depression.

Variability of height, weight, and body mass index in a Swiss armed forces 2005 census

The influence of the environment and genetics on individual biological characteristics, such as body mass and stature is well known. Many studies of these relationships have been based on conscript data. These studies often suffer from the fact that their data cover only a part of the population. Characterized by prosperity, democratic stability and enormous micro-regional cultural diversity, Switzerland is in the unique situation of offering data covering more than 80% of annual male birth cohorts. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of socioeconomic success, cultural differences, month of birth, and altitude (among other factors) on individual anthropometric characteristics of conscripts (N approximately 28,000) in the 2005 census. Our result highlights in such a large male sample the relationship between economic environment, regional cultural diversity, climate, and other factors, such as individual month of birth on stature and weight. Socioeconomic status, culture (as reflected by mother tongue), and month of birth were found to have significant effects on height and weight, while altitude did not show such effects. In general, weight is more affected by all these variables than height. Taking weight-dependent mortality and morbidity into account, it is of foremost public interest to know more about paired effects of living conditions on stature and weight in a highly developed society.

The effects of age, birth cohort and survey period on leisure-time physical activity by Australian adults: 1990–2005

The prevalence of obesity continues to rise with many factors contributing to energy imbalance. Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) has been proposed as one solution to counteract increasing energy intakes. The present study determined whether age, birth cohort and period of survey had independent effects on time, volume and energy expended in LTPA by Australian adults from 1990 to 2005. Adults were categorised into twelve age groups (5-year intervals from 20-24 years to >75 years), four survey periods (1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005) and fifteen birth cohorts (5-year intervals from pre-1916 to 1985). Time spent in three categories of LTPA was determined and metabolic equivalent (MET) values of 3.3, 4.0 and 8.0 were assigned for walking, moderate and vigorous activities, respectively, to calculate daily volume (MET minutes). Energy expended in LTPA was calculated using estimated BMR (from self-reported weight and published formulae), multiplied by the MET value. Regression models were fitted to the data. Age and period had independent effects on duration, volume and energy expenditure of LTPA for both males (P<0.01) and females (P<0.01), while birth cohort had independent effects for males only such that all three LTPA factors declined with recency of birth cohort (P<0.01). This indicates that more recent birth cohorts of males may need to be targeted to increase LTPA, but as duration, volume and energy expended in leisure time have been declining since 1990, both the sexes may benefit from the promotion of increased LTPA.

Childhood social circumstances and health behaviour in midlife: the Metropolit 1953 Danish male birth cohort

It has been suggested that the association between social disadvantage in childhood and adult mortality could come about through processes related to the family environment in which the child is raised. This study examines the relationship of fathers' social class with health behaviour in middle age and assesses the potential mediating role of cognitive function, educational status and social integration in young adulthood in these relationships. We used data from the Metropolit cohort which includes 11 532 Danish men born in 1953 with information on fathers' social class at participants' birth and assessments of cognitive performance, education and social integration in early adulthood. In 2004, 6292 of these men participated in a follow-up survey on health and behaviour. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association of father's social class with smoking, alcohol drinking, leisure-time physical activity and the intake of fruit and vegetables in midlife. Middle-aged men with fathers from higher social classes were more often ex-smokers, wine drinkers and daily consumers of fruit or vegetables than men with working class fathers. Leisure activities and high alcohol consumption were not related to father's social class. Cognitive function and educational achievement at age 18 attenuated the association of father's social class with adult behaviour, while indicators of social integration had very little impact on the associations. Father's social class influences adult smoking, alcohol preference and food intake, and a major part of the effect is mediated through cognitive function and education.

Determinants of inter-individual cholesterol level variation in an unbiased young male sample.

Affected by individual life style, the total cholesterol serum level is a major morbidity and mortality risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). We present total cholesterol values and their possible aetiological factors of young Swiss conscripts. Particularly, we study varying impact of these factors depending on different levels of individual cholesterol. Male conscripts (n = 19,272) of the 2005 census of the conscripts have been examined, reflecting ca. 59% of a total Swiss male birth cohort. Quantile regression allows us to analyse responses of arbitrary quantiles with respect to variables of interest. Eleven percent of all conscripts show clinically important increased total cholesterol levels. There is a major association of high individual cholesterol level with French regional language. The largest socio-economic subsample--agricultural and construction workers--show significantly higher individual cholesterol levels than employees in the industry sector and students, respectively. We were able to find that culture, as indicated by the mother tongue, and socioeconomic status as indicated by profession/vocation, influence individual total cholesterol levels while climate as indicated by altitude does not have an influence on cholesterol levels. Such a broad screening programme offers a unique opportunity to target persons at high-risk for CVD morbidity and mortality already early in life.