Abstract:
This article aims to assess the relationship between an individual’s socioeconomic status over their life-course and their body mass index (BMI) at 22 years of age, according to the hypotheses generated by risk accumulation, critical period, and social mobility models. This was a population-based prospective study based on the Pelotas (Brazil) 1993 birth cohort. The risk accumulation, critical period, and social mobility models were tested in relation to a saturated model and compared with a partial F-test. After the best model was chosen, linear regression was carried out to determine the crude and adjusted regression coefficients of the association between socioeconomic status over the life-course and BMI at 22 years of age. The sample was comprised of 3,292 individuals (53.3% women). We found dose-response effect for both men and women, although the results were opposite. Among men, a lower score in socioeconomic status accumulation model led to a lower BMI average at 22 years of age; whereas among women, a lower score in socioeconomic status accumulation model caused an increase in BMI at 22 years of age.
Keywords:
Body Mass Index; Longitudinal Studies; Socioeconomic Factors
Thumbnail
* Black boxes indicate follow-ups that all cohort members were eligible to participate;** Eligibility refers 5,249 out of 5,265 members whose mothers provided consent to participate in the recruitment phase (Perinatal). Mothers of the remaining 16 refused to participated;*** Proportion of complete follow-up considering members who participate, added to those known to have die;# Present study proportion of participants, considering 3,292 cohort members in relation to the total eligible (N = 5,249).