Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study was to (1) identify the influence of childhood socioeconomic status (CSES) on five chronic conditions: asthma, bronchitis, hypothyroid, migraine, and psychiatric disorders in later life; (2) determine the mediating role of childhood abuse (CA) in these associations, and (3) quantify recall bias due to respondent’s mental health in these associations.
Methods
10,325 men and women from the Tromsø Study were followed for 13 years, and Poisson regression models were used.
Results
Low CSES was associated with a 16–23% higher risk of chronic conditions, and CA was associated with a 16–58% higher risk of chronic conditions (p < 0.05). A minor proportion of the association between CSES and CA (3.98%, p < 0.05); CSES and chronic conditions (5.54–8.71%, p < 0.05); and CA and chronic conditions (9.51–19.52%, p < 0.05), were driven by recall bias due to the respondent’s mental health. CA mediated the association between CSES and chronic conditions (9.58–25.06%, p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Low CSES and CA are associated with higher risk of chronic conditions in later life. A minor proportion of these associations are driven by recall bias.
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Abbreviations
- CSES:
-
Childhood socioeconomic status
- CA:
-
Childhood abuse
- RR:
-
Relative risk
- CI:
-
Cumulative inequality
- CI:
-
Confidence interval
- SE:
-
Standard error
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Acknowledgements
I am thankful to Prof. Jan Abel Olsen and Dr. Birgit Abelsen for their collaboration throughout the project that resulted in this manuscript.
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This research was supported by the University of Tromsø.
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The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.
Ethical approval
This investigation was carried out in accordance with the latest version of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Tromsø Study has been approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics, the Data Inspectorate, and the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Sheikh, M.A. Childhood adversities and chronic conditions: examination of mediators, recall bias and age at diagnosis. Int J Public Health 63, 181–192 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-017-1021-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-017-1021-2