1
|
Cullati S, Sieber S, Gabriel R, Studer M, Chiolero A, van der Linden BWA. Lifetime employment trajectories and cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20224. [PMID: 39215024 PMCID: PMC11364773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70909-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Working life is associated with lifestyle, screening uptake, and occupational health risks that may explain differences in cancer onset. To better understand the association between working life and cancer risk, we need to account for the entire employment history. We investigated whether lifetime employment trajectories are associated with cancer risk. We used data from 6809 women and 5716 men, average age 70 years, from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. Employment history from age 16 to 65 was collected retrospectively using a life calendar and trajectories were constructed using sequence analysis. Associations between employment trajectories and self-reported cancer were assessed using logistic regression. We identified eight employment trajectories for women and two for men. Among women, the risk of cancer was higher in the trajectories "Mainly full-time to home/family", "Full-time or home/family to part-time", "Mainly full-time", and "Other" compared with the "Mainly home/family" trajectory. Among men, the risk of cancer was lower in the "Mainly self-employment" trajectory compared with "Mainly full-time". We could show how employment trajectories were associated with cancer risk, underlining the potential of sequence analysis for life course epidemiology. More research is needed to understand these associations and determine if causal relationships exist.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Cullati
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Route Des Arsenaux 41, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Quality of Care Service, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Stefan Sieber
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rainer Gabriel
- Institute of Diversity and Social Integration, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Studer
- Institute of Demographics and Socioeconomics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Arnaud Chiolero
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Route Des Arsenaux 41, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
- School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernadette W A van der Linden
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Route Des Arsenaux 41, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Calabrò C, Di Tillo E, Pensato U, Zenesini C, Favoni V, Fontana C, Cevoli S, Tossani E, Cortelli P, Grandi S, Pierangeli G. Migraine chronification as an allostatic disorder: a proof-of-concept study. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:2775-2782. [PMID: 38261154 PMCID: PMC11081979 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07293-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The underpinning biologics of migraine chronification are not well understood. We aim to investigate the role of the cumulative burden of stress, namely the allostatic load, in migraine chronification. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study. The allostatic load was measured with a composite multi-system score (BALI: Bologna Allostatic Load Index), evaluating 20 biomarkers representing four physiological systems: immune, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrinological systems. BALI score was subdivided into high score and low score based on the distribution in controls. Migraine patients were included and subclassified into low-frequency episodic migraine group (low-EM group), high-frequency episodic migraine group (high-EM group), and chronic migraine group (CM group). RESULTS The distribution of BALI high-score increased in parallel with headache attacks monthly frequency: 16% in low-EM group (n = 10), 24% in high-EM group (n = 12), and 40% in CM group (n = 21) (p = 0.017). In a multivariable analysis, the odds ratio of having a high-score BALI in CM patients (vs. low-EM patients) was 2.78 (95% CI 1.07-7.22; p = 0.036). Individual BALI biomarkers values which were significantly different among migraine subgroups included systolic blood pressure (p = 0.018), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), and heart rate (p = 0.019). CONCLUSION Our study substantiates this emerging concept of migraine chronification as an allostatic disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calogero Calabrò
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Azienda USL di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Eliana Di Tillo
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Umberto Pensato
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Corrado Zenesini
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche Di Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Via Altura 3, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valentina Favoni
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche Di Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Via Altura 3, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Camilla Fontana
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabina Cevoli
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche Di Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Via Altura 3, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Eliana Tossani
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pietro Cortelli
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche Di Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Via Altura 3, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvana Grandi
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Pierangeli
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche Di Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Via Altura 3, 40139, Bologna, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Duignan L, Dutton DJ. The association between allostatic load and guaranteed annual income using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging: A cross-sectional analysis of the benefits of guaranteed public pensions. Health Policy 2024; 143:105054. [PMID: 38522246 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Old Age Security (OAS) represents an public policy through which income-related inequalities in health may be improved. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the health benefits of receiving OAS in financially insecure older Canadians. METHODS Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) (n=15,691), ordered logistic regression was used to measure associations between financial insecurity and allostatic load. RESULTS Receiving OAS as highest personal income source appeared to remove the health penalty of being financially insecure. While financial insecurity was associated with worse allostatic load in both males and females not receiving OAS, those receiving OAS as highest personal income source had better allostatic load compared to other financially insecure older adults (ORM: 0.398, 95 % CI: 0.227, 0.696; ORF: 0.677, 95 % CI: 0.483, 0.949). DISCUSSION While longitudinal data would be needed to draw causal inferences, these results suggest OAS may play a role improving health outcomes and narrowing income-related health inequalities. Such findings may have important implications on older adults, other vulnerable populations, and future directions of Canadian health and public policy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke Duignan
- Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, 5790 University Ave, Halifax, NS B3H 1V7, Canada.
| | - Daniel J Dutton
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cullati S, Sieber S, Gabriel R, Studer M, Chiolero A, van der Linden BWA. Lifetime Employment Trajectories and Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4207039. [PMID: 38699299 PMCID: PMC11065066 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4207039/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Working life is associated with lifestyle, screening uptake, and occupational health risks that may explain differences in cancer onset. To better understand the association between working life and cancer risk, we need to account for the entire employment history. We investigated whether lifetime employment trajectories are associated with cancer risk. We used data from 6,809 women and 5,716 men, average age 70 years, from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. Employment history from age 16 to 65 was collected retrospectively using a life calendar and trajectories were constructed using sequence analysis. Associations between employment trajectories and self-reported cancer were assessed using logistic regression. We identified eight employment trajectories for women and two for men. Among women, the risk of cancer was higher in the trajectories "Mainly full-time to home/family", "Full-time or home/family to part-time", "Mainly full-time", and "Other" compared with the "Mainly home/family" trajectory. Among men, the risk of cancer was lower in the "Mainly self-employment" trajectory compared with "Mainly full-time". We could show how employment trajectories were associated with cancer risk, underlining the potential of sequence analysis for life course epidemiology. More research is needed to understand these associations and determine if causal relationships exist.
Collapse
|
5
|
Neufcourt L, Castagné R, Wilsgaard T, Grimsgaard S, Chadeau-Hyam M, Vuckovic D, Ugarteche-Perez A, Farbu EH, Sandanger TM, Delpierre C, Kelly-Irving M. Educational patterning in biological health seven years apart: Findings from the Tromsø Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 160:106670. [PMID: 37992555 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social-to-biological processes is one set of mechanisms underlying the relationship between social position and health. However, very few studies have focused on the relationship between social factors and biology at multiple time points. This work investigates the relationship between education and the dynamic changes in a composite Biological Health Score (BHS) using two time points seven years apart in a Norwegian adult population. METHODS We used data from individuals aged 30 years and above who participated in Tromsø6 (2007-2008) and Tromsø7 (2015-2016) (n = 8117). BHS was defined using ten biomarkers measured from blood samples and representing three physiological systems (cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory). The higher the BHS, the poorer the health status. FINDINGS Linear regression models carried out on BHS revealed a strong educational gradient at two distinct time points but also over time. People with lower educational attainment were at higher risk of poor biological health at a given time point (βlow education Tromsø6=0.30 [95 %-CI=0.18-0.43] and βlow education Tromsø7=0.30 [95 %-CI=0.17-0.42]). They also presented higher longitudinal BHS compared to people with higher education (βlow education = 0.89 [95 %-CI=0.56-1.23]). Certain biomarkers related to the cardiovascular system and the metabolic system were strongly socially distributed, even after adjustment for sex, age, health behaviours and body mass index. CONCLUSION This longitudinal analysis highlights that participants with lower education had their biological health deteriorated to a greater extent over time compared to people with higher education. Our findings provide added evidence of the biological embodiment of social position, particularly with respect to dynamic aspects for which little evidence exists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lola Neufcourt
- CERPOP-UMR1295, EQUITY research team, Inserm, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - Raphaële Castagné
- CERPOP-UMR1295, EQUITY research team, Inserm, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Tom Wilsgaard
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Sameline Grimsgaard
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dragana Vuckovic
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ainhoa Ugarteche-Perez
- CERPOP-UMR1295, EQUITY research team, Inserm, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Erlend Hoftun Farbu
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Torkjel M Sandanger
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- CERPOP-UMR1295, EQUITY research team, Inserm, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Michelle Kelly-Irving
- CERPOP-UMR1295, EQUITY research team, Inserm, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Oberndorfer M, Leyland AH, Pearce J, Grabovac I, Hannah MK, Dorner TE. Unequally Unequal? Contextual-level status inequality and social cohesion moderating the association between individual-level socioeconomic position and systemic chronic inflammation. Soc Sci Med 2023; 333:116185. [PMID: 37598618 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Status inequality is hypothesised to increase socioeconomic inequalities in health by creating an environment in which social cohesion erodes and social comparisons intensify. Such an environment may cause systemic chronic inflammation. Although these are often-used explanations in social epidemiology, empirical tests remain rare. METHODS We analysed data from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study. Our sample consisted of 1977 participants in 499 small residential areas. Systemic chronic inflammation was measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; <10 mg/L). An area-level measurement of status inequality was created using census data and contextual-level social cohesion was measured applying ecometrics. We estimated linear multilevel models with cross-level interactions between socioeconomic position (SEP), status inequality, and social cohesion adjusted for age and gender. Our main analysis on postcode sector-level was re-estimated on three smaller spatial levels. RESULTS The difference in hs-CRP between disadvantaged and advantaged SEPs (0.806 mg/L; p = 0.063; [95%CI: -0.044; 1.656]) was highest among participants living in areas where most residents were in advantaged SEPs. In these status distributions, high social cohesion was associated with a shallower socioeconomic gradient in hs-CRP and low social cohesion was associated with a steeper gradient. In areas with an equal mix of SEPs or most residents in disadvantaged SEPs, the estimated difference in hs-CRP between disadvantaged and advantaged SEPs was -0.039 mg/L (p = 0.898; [95%CI: 0.644; 0.566]) and -0.257 mg/L (p = 0.568; [95%CI: 1.139; 0.625]) respectively. In these status distributions, the gradient in hs-CRP appeared steeper when social cohesion was high and potentially reversed when social cohesion was low. Results were broadly consistent when using area-levels smaller than postcode sectors. CONCLUSIONS Inequalities in hs-CRP were greatest among participants living in areas wherein a majority of residents were in advantaged SEPs and social cohesion was low. In other combinations of these contextual characteristics, inequalities in systemic chronic inflammation were not detectable or potentially even reversed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Oberndorfer
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
| | - Alastair H Leyland
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Jamie Pearce
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society, And Health, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Igor Grabovac
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mary K Hannah
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Thomas E Dorner
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Academy for Ageing Research, Haus der Barmherzigkeit, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mah SM, Rosella LC, Kivimäki M, Carmeli C. Overcrowded housing during adolescence and future risk of premature mortality: a 28-year follow-up of 556,191 adolescents from Switzerland. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2023; 31:100667. [PMID: 37388943 PMCID: PMC10300403 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Background Few large-scale studies have examined the health impacts of overcrowded housing in European countries. The aim of this study was to assess whether household crowding during adolescence increases the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Switzerland. Methods Study participants were 556,191 adolescents aged 10-19 years at the 1990 census from the Swiss National Cohort. Household crowding at baseline was measured as the ratio between the number of persons living in the household and the number of available rooms, categorized as none (ratio ≤ 1), moderate (1 < ratio ≤ 1.5), and severe (ratio > 1.5). Participants were linked to administrative mortality records through 2018 and followed for premature mortality from all causes, cardiometabolic disease and self-harm or substance use. Cumulative risk differences between ages 10 and 45 were standardized by parental occupation, residential area, permit status and household type. Findings Of the sample, 19% lived in moderately and 5% lived in severely crowded households. During an average follow-up of 23 years, 9766 participants died. Cumulative risk of death from all causes was 2359 (95% compatibility intervals: 2296-2415) per 100,000 persons when living in non-crowded households. Living in moderately crowded households led to 99 additional deaths (-63 to 256) per 100,000 persons and living in severely crowded households 258 additional deaths (-37 to 607) per 100,000 persons. The effect of crowding on mortality from cardiometabolic diseases, self-harm or substance use was negligible. Interpretation Excess risk of premature mortality in adolescents living in overcrowded households appears to be small or negligible in Switzerland. Funding University of Fribourg Scholarship Programme for foreign post-doctoral researchers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Mah
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Laura C. Rosella
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mika Kivimäki
- UCL Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Cristian Carmeli
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - the SNC study group
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- UCL Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Barakat C, Konstantinidis T. A Review of the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status Change and Health. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6249. [PMID: 37444097 PMCID: PMC10341459 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20136249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This review aimed to identify and synthesize the existing literature on the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) changes on health. METHODS A review was conducted using Medline, Cochrane library, and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature). All longitudinal or cross-sectional studies that examined links between changes to SES across different time periods and measured health outcomes were included. Screening was conducted using select inclusion and exclusion criteria in order of title, abstract, and full text. Two independent reviewers assessed the quality of the full text articles using the Downs and Black checklist. RESULTS Our literature search led to 2719 peer reviewed articles, 2639 of which were title screened after duplicates were removed. A total of 117 abstracts and 12 full text articles were screened. Overall, findings from 11 articles form the basis of this review. Eight different types of measures of changes to SES were identified. These include education, occupation, economic security, income sufficiency, home ownership, car ownership, health insurance, and marital status. Assessed outcomes included measures related to physical health, cardiovascular disease, mental health, and oral health. A large proportion of studies found that an SES change impacts health. Evidence suggests that those with consistently high SES have the best health outcomes, followed by those who report their SES change from low to high (upward social mobility). Evidence on the relative health effects for those who report their SES change from high to low (downward social mobility) compared to those who report consistently low SES is inconsistent. CONCLUSION Current evidence suggests that an SES change has an impact on an individual's health. More research on the effects of SES changes on health outcomes in adulthood is needed and can inform various areas of health research including health resiliency and development. Future studies should focus on individual SES indicators and their effects on health outcomes at multiple points throughout life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Barakat
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, 2000 Simcoe St. N, Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Beese S, Postma J, Graves JM. Allostatic Load Measurement: A Systematic Review of Reviews, Database Inventory, and Considerations for Neighborhood Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192417006. [PMID: 36554888 PMCID: PMC9779615 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192417006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neighborhoods are critical to understanding how environments influence health outcomes. Prolonged environmental stressors, such as a lack of green spaces and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, have been associated with higher allostatic load levels. Since allostatic load levels experienced earlier in life have stronger associations with mortality risk, neighborhoods may be uniquely suited to monitor and mitigate the impacts of environmental stressors. Researchers often study allostatic load in neighborhoods by utilizing administrative boundaries within publicly accessible databases as proxies for neighborhoods. METHODS This systematic review of reviews aims to identify commonly used biomarkers in the measurement of allostatic load, compare measurement approaches, inventory databases to study allostatic load, and spotlight considerations referenced in the literature where allostatic load is studied in neighborhoods. The review was conducted using the search term "allostatic load" in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsychINFO databases. The search results were filtered to include reviews. RESULTS The search returned 499 articles after deduplication. Overall, 18 synthesis reviews met the inclusion criteria and were retained for extraction. The synthesis reviews analyzed represented 238 studies published from 1995 to 2020. The original ten biomarkers were most often used to measure allostatic load. More recently, body mass index and C-reactive protein have additionally been frequently used to measure allostatic load burden. CONCLUSIONS The scientific contributions of this study are that we have identified a clear gap in geographic considerations when studying allostatic load. The implication of this study is that we have highlighted geographic concepts when conducting neighborhood-level research using administrative databases as a neighborhood proxy and outlined emerging future trends that can enable future study of allostatic load in the neighborhood context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shawna Beese
- College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- College of Nursing, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
| | - Julie Postma
- College of Nursing, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
| | - Janessa M. Graves
- College of Nursing, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
McLoughlin S, Präg P, Bartley M, Kenny RA, McCrory C. Intergenerational Social Mobility and Allostatic Load in Midlife and Older Ages: A Diagonal Reference Modeling Approach. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 78:154-166. [PMID: 36008104 PMCID: PMC9890911 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to understand the association of life-course intergenerational social mobility with allostatic load (AL) burden in midlife and older ages in Ireland. METHODS The study involved biological data for 3,987 older adults participating in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Intergenerational social mobility was characterized using the cross-classification of origin socioeconomic position (SEP; i.e., father's occupation) and destination SEP (i.e., own occupation). AL was operationalized using 12 biomarkers tapping cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, and immune system dysregulation. Diagonal reference modeling (DRM) and ordinary least square regression techniques were applied to explore the effect of social mobility on AL burden. RESULTS A total of 55.5% experienced intergenerational mobility: 37.5% were upwardly mobile, 18.0% were downwardly mobile. A social gradient in AL was observed among the socially non-mobile. Destination SEP (b = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.57, 0.92) predominated in influence over origin, although both life stages exerted significant influence on later-life AL. Social mobility in either direction was not associated with AL burden. Mobility coefficients were substantially small across a large variety of model specifications. DISCUSSION Findings provide evidence for an accumulation model of social inequalities in which disparities in health are diluted rather than increased by social mobility (i.e., gradient constraint), with the socially mobile having an AL score that is intermediate between their origin class and destination class. This implies that the effects of origin SEP on health are not immutable, but are instead responsive to changing socioeconomic circumstances across the life course.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad McLoughlin
- Address correspondence to: Sinéad McLoughlin, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity Central, Trinity College Dublin, 152-160 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. E-mail:
| | - Patrick Präg
- Center for Research in Economics and Statistics (CREST), ENSAE, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, France
| | - Mel Bartley
- Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rose Anne Kenny
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland,Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Cathal McCrory
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Concomitant use of relative telomere length, biological health score and physical/social statuses in the biological aging evaluation of mustard-chemical veterans. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 109:108785. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
12
|
Kempel MK, Winding TN, Böttcher M, Andersen JH. Evaluating the association between socioeconomic position and cardiometabolic risk markers in young adulthood by different life course models. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:694. [PMID: 35397504 PMCID: PMC8994289 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13158-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cardiometabolic health in adulthood is associated with socioeconomic position (SEP) in childhood. Although this has been studied by previous research several questions need to be addressed. E.g. knowledge about the association with timing, extent of the exposure as well as lifestyle and adult SEP, is essential to address the increasing social gradient in cardiometabolic diseases.
Methods
This study included a sub-sample (N = 264, 50% women, age 28–30) from an ongoing cohort study. We used a combination of national registers, longitudinal questionnaire data and clinical data. We examined the association between childhood SEP and cardiometabolic risk, measured by a score of multiple risk markers in young adulthood. SEP-indicators included mother’s educational level and household income. The association was evaluated by four different life course models; the latent effects model, the pathway model, the cumulative model and the social mobility model.
Results
We found an inverse association between mother’s educational level and cardiometabolic risk. The association was statistically significant evaluated by the pathway and cumulative life course models, however statistically insignificant evaluated by the latent effects model. No specific association with social mobility was observed. However, high adult educational level seems to have a protecting impact on the association. No association was found between household income and cardiometabolic risk in any of the applied life course models.
Conclusion
Low childhood SEP, represented by mother’s educational level but not household income, is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk in young adulthood. The accumulation of exposure, lifestyle and adult educational attainment are important for the association. In contrast, intergenerational social mobility does not seem to have a specific impact on the association and we find no evidence for a particular timing in childhood.
Collapse
|
13
|
Sulfur mustard and biological ageing: A multisystem biological health score approach as an extension of the allostatic load in Sardasht chemical veterans. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 101:108375. [PMID: 34810125 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mustard gas as a chemical weapon has been used in wars and its long-term side effects are substantial in the human body. This study was aimed to apply an extension of allostatic load, known as synthetic biological health score (BHS), including the wear-and-tear of four physiological systems (endocrine, inflammatory, cardiovascular and metabolic systems) and two organs (liver and kidney) to estimate biological aging caused by sulfur mustard (SM) gas poisoning. METHODS The plasma samples were prepared from two following groups of people; 1) 446 individuals exposed to SM gas in 1987. 2) 115 healthy members, at the same range of age and residence, as the non-exposed group. These people were chosen from the same patients' families and have not had any exposure to SM or pulmonary dysfunction. To estimate BHS, 18 blood-derived biomarkers of the mentioned systems and organs were measured and the relative contribution of many social and body parameters across the age groups was explored. RESULTS It was revealed, in BHS calculation, the cardiovascular system had the most effect. Also, in the SM group, BHS was significantly higher than in the control group. This feature has a positive correlation with physical parameter (BMI) and a negative correlation with social parameters (salary and educational levels). CONCLUSION The multisystem BHS could be useful in the evaluation of biological aging due to SM exposure. Social (education, good-paying job) and physical (BMI) parameters could influence BHS and the higher BHS indicates the progress of biological aging due to mustard gas.
Collapse
|
14
|
Guidi J, Lucente M, Sonino N, Fava GA. Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health: A Systematic Review. PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS 2021; 90:11-27. [PMID: 32799204 DOI: 10.1159/000510696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 402] [Impact Index Per Article: 134.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Allostatic load refers to the cumulative burden of chronic stress and life events. It involves the interaction of different physiological systems at varying degrees of activity. When environmental challenges exceed the individual ability to cope, then allostatic overload ensues. Allostatic load is identified by the use of biomarkers and clinical criteria. OBJECTIVE To summarize the current knowledge on allostatic load and overload and its clinical implications based on a systematic review of the literature. METHODS PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to December 2019. A manual search of the literature was also performed, and reference lists of the retrieved articles were examined.We considered only studies in which allostatic load or overload were adequately described and assessed in either clinical or non-clinical adult populations. RESULTS A total of 267 original investigations were included. They encompassed general population studies, as well as clinical studies on consequences of allostatic load/overload on both physical and mental health across a variety of settings. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that allostatic load and overload are associated with poorer health outcomes. Assessment of allostatic load provides support to the understanding of psychosocial determinants of health and lifestyle medicine. An integrated approach that includes both biological markers and clinimetric criteria is recommended.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Guidi
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,
| | | | - Nicoletta Sonino
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Giovanni A Fava
- Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Joannès C, Castagné R, Lepage B, Delpierre C, Kelly-Irving M. Could teacher-perceived parental interest be an important factor in understanding how education relates to later physiological health? A life course approach. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252518. [PMID: 34138891 PMCID: PMC8211281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Education is associated with later health, and notably with an indicator of physiological health measuring the cost of adapting to stressful conditions, named allostatic load. Education is itself the result of a number of upstream variables. We examined the origins of educational attainment through the lens of interactions between families and school i.e. parents’ interest in their child’s education as perceived by teachers. This study aims to examine whether parental interest during a child’s educational trajectory is associated with subsequent allostatic load, and whether education or other pathways mediate this relationship. We used data from 9 377 women and men born in 1958 in Great Britain and included in the National Child Development Study to conduct secondary data analyses. Parental interest was measured from questionnaire responses by teachers collected at age 7, 11 and 16. Allostatic load was defined using 14 biomarkers assayed in blood from a biosample collected at 44 years of age. Linear regression analyses were carried out on a sample of 8 113 participants with complete data for allostatic load, missing data were imputed. Participants whose parents were considered to be uninterested in their education by their teacher had a higher allostatic load on average in midlife in both men (β = 0,41 [0,29; 0,54]) and women (β = 0,69 [0,54; 0,83]). We examined the role of the educational and other pathways including psychosocial, material/financial, and behavioral variables, as potential mediators in the relationship between parental interest and allostatic load. The direct link between parental interest and allostatic load was completely mediated in men, but only partially mediated in women. This work provides evidence that parents’ interest in their child’s education as perceived by teachers is associated with subsequent physiological health in mid-life and may highlight a form of cultural dissonance between family and educational spheres.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille Joannès
- Equity Research Team, CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Raphaële Castagné
- Equity Research Team, CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Benoit Lepage
- Equity Research Team, CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Department of Epidemiology, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- Equity Research Team, CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Michelle Kelly-Irving
- Equity Research Team, CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Interdisciplinary Federal Research Institute on Health & Society (IFERISS), Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rogers JM, Epstein DH, Phillips K, Strickland JC, Preston KL. Exploring the Relationship Between Substance Use and Allostatic Load in a Treatment/Research Cohort and in a US Probability Sample (NHANES 2009-2016). Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:630195. [PMID: 34408672 PMCID: PMC8367194 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.630195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Allostatic load, an operationalization for cumulative strain on physiology from adaptation (allostasis) to stress over a lifetime, can manifest as damage to cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and metabolic systems. The concept of allostatic load may be particularly useful in research on substance-use disorders (SUDs) because SUD researchers have sought to better understand the relationship between chronic stressors and drug use. Theoretical models hold that SUDs can be conceptualized as a spiral toward a state of persistent allostasis (i.e., allostasis so persistent as to represent homeostasis at a new, unhealthy set point). Regardless of the extent to which those models are accurate, increased allostatic load could be a mechanism by which frequent drug administration increases risk for adverse outcomes. We conducted two secondary analyses to evaluate allostatic load in the context of drug use, including alcohol use, in a locally recruited sample with a high proportion of illicit substance use (N = 752) and in a nationally representative sample from the NHANES 2009-2016. We hypothesized that after controlling for age and other potential confounds, people with longer histories of drug use would have higher allostatic-load scores. Multiple regression was used to predict allostatic load from participants' drug-use histories while controlling for known confounds. In the locally recruited sample, we found that longer lifetime use of cocaine or opioids was related to increased allostatic load. In NHANES 2009-2016, we found few or no such associations. Lengthy histories of problematic non-medical substance use may facilitate more rapid increases in allostatic load than aging alone, and, together with findings from previous investigations, this finding suggests increased risk for chronic disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Rogers
- Behavioral Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - David H Epstein
- Behavioral Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Karran Phillips
- Behavioral Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kenzie L Preston
- Behavioral Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chadeau-Hyam M, Bodinier B, Vermeulen R, Karimi M, Zuber V, Castagné R, Elliott J, Muller D, Petrovic D, Whitaker M, Stringhini S, Tzoulaki I, Kivimäki M, Vineis P, Elliott P, Kelly-Irving M, Delpierre C. Education, biological ageing, all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity: UK biobank cohort study. EClinicalMedicine 2020; 29-30:100658. [PMID: 33437953 PMCID: PMC7788440 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic position as measured by education may be embodied and affect the functioning of key physiological systems. Links between social disadvantage, its biological imprint, and cause-specific mortality and morbidity have not been investigated in large populations, and yet may point towards areas for public health interventions beyond targeting individual behaviours. METHODS Using data from 366,748 UK Biobank participants with 13 biomarker measurements, we calculated a Biological Health Score (BHS, ranging from 0 to 1) capturing the level of functioning of five physiological systems. Associations between BHS and incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, and mortality from all, CVD, cancer, and external causes were examined. We explored the role of education in these associations. Mendelian randomisation using genetic evidence was used to triangulate these findings. FINDINGS An increase in BHS of 0.1 was associated with all-cause (HR = 1.14 [1.12-1.16] and 1.09 [1.07-1.12] in men and women respectively), cancer (HR = 1.11 [1.09-1.14] and 1.07 [1.04-1.10]) and CVD (HR = 1.25 [1.20-1.31] and 1.21 [1.11-1.31]) mortality, CVD incidence (HR = 1.15 [1.13-1.16] and 1.17 [1.15-1.19]). These associations survived adjustment for education, lifestyle-behaviours, body mass index (BMI), co-morbidities and medical treatments. Mendelian randomisation further supported the link between the BHS and CVD incidence (HR = 1.31 [1.21-1.42]). The BHS contributed to CVD incidence prediction (age-adjusted C-statistic = 0.58), other than through education and health behaviours. INTERPRETATION The BHS captures features of the embodiment of education, health behaviours, and more proximal unknown factors which all complementarily contribute to all-cause, cancer and CVD morbidity and premature death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Bodinier
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Maryam Karimi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Verena Zuber
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Raphaële Castagné
- LEASP, UMR 1027, Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Joshua Elliott
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Muller
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dusan Petrovic
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Whitaker
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- University Centre for General Medicine and Public Health (UNISANTE), Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Unit of Population Epidemiology, Department of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ioanna Tzoulaki
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina Medical School, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Mika Kivimäki
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paolo Vineis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine IIGM, Torino, Italy
| | - Paul Elliott
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research, Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Health Data Research UK London at Imperial College London, London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Kelly-Irving
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Wood NM, Trebilco T, Cohen-Woods S. Scars of childhood socioeconomic stress: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:397-410. [PMID: 32795493 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with the development of adult psychological outcomes, with DNA methylation (DNAm) as a mechanism to potentially explain these changes. We present the first systematic review synthesising the literature investigating childhood SEP and DNAm. Thirty-two publications were included. Seventeen studies focused on candidate genes, typically focusing on genes implicated with the stress response and/or development of psychiatric conditions. These studies typically investigated different regions of the genes, which revealed inconsistent results. Six studies calculated epigenetic age, with a small number revealing an elevated significant association with childhood SEP. Epigenome-wide studies revealed altered patterns of DNAm which varied between the nine studies. This research area is emerging and demonstrated great variance in findings with no clear patterns identified across studies. Multiple methodological shortcomings are identified, including at the phenotypic level where construct validity of childhood SEP is highly inconsistent, with studies using a wide range of measures. Larger cohorts will be required with international collaborations to strengthen this research area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha M Wood
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Thomas Trebilco
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sarah Cohen-Woods
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Órama Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Vineis P, Avendano-Pabon M, Barros H, Bartley M, Carmeli C, Carra L, Chadeau-Hyam M, Costa G, Delpierre C, D'Errico A, Fraga S, Giles G, Goldberg M, Kelly-Irving M, Kivimaki M, Lepage B, Lang T, Layte R, MacGuire F, Mackenbach JP, Marmot M, McCrory C, Milne RL, Muennig P, Nusselder W, Petrovic D, Polidoro S, Ricceri F, Robinson O, Stringhini S, Zins M. Special Report: The Biology of Inequalities in Health: The Lifepath Consortium. Front Public Health 2020; 8:118. [PMID: 32478023 PMCID: PMC7235337 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme, the Lifepath research consortium aimed to investigate the effects of socioeconomic inequalities on the biology of healthy aging. The main research questions included the impact of inequalities on health, the role of behavioral and other risk factors, the underlying biological mechanisms, the efficacy of selected policies, and the general implications of our findings for theories and policies. The project adopted a life-course and comparative approach, considering lifetime effects from childhood and adulthood, and pooled data on up to 1.7 million participants of longitudinal cohort studies from Europe, USA, and Australia. These data showed that socioeconomic circumstances predicted mortality and functional decline as strongly as established risk factors currently targeted by global prevention programmes. Analyses also looked at socioeconomically patterned biological markers, allostatic load, and DNA methylation using richly phenotyped cohorts, unraveling their association with aging processes across the life-course. Lifepath studies suggest that socioeconomic circumstances are embedded in our biology from the outset-i.e., disadvantage influences biological systems from molecules to organs. Our findings have important implications for policy, suggesting that (a) intervening on unfavorable socioeconomic conditions is complementary and as important as targeting well-known risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, and that (b) effects of preventive interventions in early life integrate interventions in adulthood. The report has an executive summary that refers to the different sections of the main paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Vineis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mauricio Avendano-Pabon
- Department of Social Sciences, Health and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Henrique Barros
- EPIUnit – Institute of Public Health University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mel Bartley
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cristian Carmeli
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (UNISANTE), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppe Costa
- Department of Clinical Science & Biology, Turin University Medical School, Turin, Italy
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- UMR LEASP, Université de Toulouse III, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Silvia Fraga
- EPIUnit – Institute of Public Health University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Graham Giles
- Cancer Epidemiology Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Precision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marcel Goldberg
- UMS 011 Inserm - UVSQ ≪ Cohortes épidémiologiques en population ≫, Villejuif, France
| | | | - Mika Kivimaki
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benoit Lepage
- UMR LEASP, Université de Toulouse III, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Thierry Lang
- UMR LEASP, Université de Toulouse III, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Richard Layte
- Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Frances MacGuire
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Johan P. Mackenbach
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michael Marmot
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cathal McCrory
- Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Roger L. Milne
- Cancer Epidemiology Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Precision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter Muennig
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Wilma Nusselder
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dusan Petrovic
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (UNISANTE), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Polidoro
- Molecular Epidemiology and Exposomics Unit, Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, Turin, Italy
| | - Fulvio Ricceri
- Department of Clinical Science & Biology, Turin University Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL TO3, Turin, Italy
| | - Oliver Robinson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie Zins
- UMS 011 Inserm - UVSQ ≪ Cohortes épidémiologiques en population ≫, Villejuif, France
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Vineis P, Avendano-Pabon M, Barros H, Bartley M, Carmeli C, Carra L, Chadeau-Hyam M, Costa G, Delpierre C, D'Errico A, Fraga S, Giles G, Goldberg M, Kelly-Irving M, Kivimaki M, Lepage B, Lang T, Layte R, MacGuire F, Mackenbach JP, Marmot M, McCrory C, Milne RL, Muennig P, Nusselder W, Petrovic D, Polidoro S, Ricceri F, Robinson O, Stringhini S, Zins M. Special Report: The Biology of Inequalities in Health: The Lifepath Consortium. Front Public Health 2020. [PMID: 32478023 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00118/full] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme, the Lifepath research consortium aimed to investigate the effects of socioeconomic inequalities on the biology of healthy aging. The main research questions included the impact of inequalities on health, the role of behavioral and other risk factors, the underlying biological mechanisms, the efficacy of selected policies, and the general implications of our findings for theories and policies. The project adopted a life-course and comparative approach, considering lifetime effects from childhood and adulthood, and pooled data on up to 1.7 million participants of longitudinal cohort studies from Europe, USA, and Australia. These data showed that socioeconomic circumstances predicted mortality and functional decline as strongly as established risk factors currently targeted by global prevention programmes. Analyses also looked at socioeconomically patterned biological markers, allostatic load, and DNA methylation using richly phenotyped cohorts, unraveling their association with aging processes across the life-course. Lifepath studies suggest that socioeconomic circumstances are embedded in our biology from the outset-i.e., disadvantage influences biological systems from molecules to organs. Our findings have important implications for policy, suggesting that (a) intervening on unfavorable socioeconomic conditions is complementary and as important as targeting well-known risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, and that (b) effects of preventive interventions in early life integrate interventions in adulthood. The report has an executive summary that refers to the different sections of the main paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Vineis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mauricio Avendano-Pabon
- Department of Social Sciences, Health and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Henrique Barros
- EPIUnit - Institute of Public Health University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mel Bartley
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cristian Carmeli
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (UNISANTE), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppe Costa
- Department of Clinical Science & Biology, Turin University Medical School, Turin, Italy
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- UMR LEASP, Université de Toulouse III, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Silvia Fraga
- EPIUnit - Institute of Public Health University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Graham Giles
- Cancer Epidemiology Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Precision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marcel Goldberg
- UMS 011 Inserm - UVSQ ≪ Cohortes épidémiologiques en population ≫, Villejuif, France
| | | | - Mika Kivimaki
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benoit Lepage
- UMR LEASP, Université de Toulouse III, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Thierry Lang
- UMR LEASP, Université de Toulouse III, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Richard Layte
- Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Frances MacGuire
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Johan P Mackenbach
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michael Marmot
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cathal McCrory
- Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Roger L Milne
- Cancer Epidemiology Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Precision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter Muennig
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Wilma Nusselder
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dusan Petrovic
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (UNISANTE), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Polidoro
- Molecular Epidemiology and Exposomics Unit, Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, Turin, Italy
| | - Fulvio Ricceri
- Department of Clinical Science & Biology, Turin University Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Department of Epidemiology, ASL TO3, Turin, Italy
| | - Oliver Robinson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie Zins
- UMS 011 Inserm - UVSQ ≪ Cohortes épidémiologiques en population ≫, Villejuif, France
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Yadav UN, Tamang MK, Thapa TB, Hosseinzadeh H, Harris MF, Yadav KK. Prevalence and determinants of frailty in the absence of disability among older population: a cross sectional study from rural communities in Nepal. BMC Geriatr 2019; 19:283. [PMID: 31640571 PMCID: PMC6806560 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-019-1290-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Longevity and frailty have significant implications for healthcare delivery. They increase demands for healthcare service and surge risk of hospitalization. Despite gaining global attention, determinants of frailty have remained unmeasured in the rural community settings in Nepal. This study aimed to address this gap by accessing the prevalence and determinants of frailty in the absence of disability among older population living in rural communities in eastern Nepal. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study of 794 older adults aged ≥60 living in the rural part of Sunsari and Morang district of eastern Nepal between January and April in 2018. Multi-stage cluster sampling was applied to recruit the study participants. Study measures included socio-demographics; Frail Non-disabled scale (FiND) measuring frailty, Barthel’s Index measuring basic activities of daily living and Geriatric depression scale. Determinants of frailty in the absence of disability were identified using generalized estimating equation (GEE). Results About 65% of the participants self-reported the presence of frailty in the absence of disability. In the adjusted models, those from underprivileged ethnic groups, lack of daily physical exercise, presence of depressive symptoms and those not getting enough social support from family were found to be significantly associated with frailty among older participants. Conclusions The prevalence of frailty in the absence of disability was high among rural community old population living in eastern Nepal. Our findings suggest that need of frailty awareness (both for clinicians and general public), so as to avoid negative consequences. To reduce the healthcare burden early screening frailty in primary care has potentials to prevent implications of frailty in Nepal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uday Narayan Yadav
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, UNSW, Sydney, Australia. .,Forum for Health Research and Development, Dharan, Nepal.
| | - Man Kumar Tamang
- Forum for Health Research and Development, Dharan, Nepal.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Mark Fort Harris
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Karimi M, Castagné R, Delpierre C, Albertus G, Berger E, Vineis P, Kumari M, Kelly-Irving M, Chadeau-Hyam M. Early-life inequalities and biological ageing: a multisystem Biological Health Score approach in UnderstandingSociety. J Epidemiol Community Health 2019; 73:693-702. [PMID: 30944170 PMCID: PMC6678052 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2018-212010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Social position is known to play a role in the quality of ageing, notably through the stimulation/dysregulation of key physiological systems in response to external stresses. Using data from one wave of Understanding Society including 9088 participants, we defined, as an extension of the allostatic load, a synthetic Biological Health Score (BHS) capturing the wear-and-tear of four physiological systems (endocrine, inflammatory, cardiovascular and metabolic systems) and two organs (liver and kidney). We used 16 established blood-derived biomarkers of these systems to calculate the BHS and explored the relative contribution of socioeconomic position to the BHS and its main components across age groups. We identified a systematic decreasing education-related gradient of the BHS (p<0.001) leading to lower biological risk in participants with longer education. Education-related differences in the BHS were detected early in life, and were not attributable to lifestyle and behavioural factors. We found a consistent contribution of the inflammatory and metabolic systems to the overall score throughout from early adulthood onwards, while the contribution of the other four systems seems to vary across age groups and gender. Our findings highlight the social-to-biological processes ultimately leading to health inequalities, and suggest that such disparities can already be detected in the 20-40 years old age group and cannot be fully explained by lifestyle and behavioural factors. This may define early adulthood social condition as a precursor to accelerated biological ageing and as an important target for public health policies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Karimi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Gaëlle Albertus
- UMR1027, Université de Toulouse, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Eloïse Berger
- UMR1027, Université de Toulouse, UPS, Inserm, Toulouse, France
| | - Paolo Vineis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine IIGM, Torino, Italy
| | - Meena Kumari
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | | | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Niedzwiedz CL. How does mental health stigma get under the skin? Cross-sectional analysis using the Health Survey for England. SSM Popul Health 2019; 8:100433. [PMID: 31312714 PMCID: PMC6609872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite increased awareness of mental health problems, stigma persists. Little research has examined potential health and wellbeing outcomes associated with stigma. The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between mental health stigma, metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers, as well as wellbeing and quality of life among people with no mental disorder, common mental disorders and severe mental illness. Data were taken from adults aged 16 + years participating in the Health Survey for England in 2014 (N = 5491). Mental health stigma was measured using the 12-item Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale, intended to measure attitudes around prejudice and exclusion, and tolerance and support for community care. Individuals were divided into six groups based on their mental health (no mental disorder, common mental disorder, severe mental illness) and whether they exhibited more (≤25th percentile) or less (>25th percentile) stigmatising attitudes. Metabolic and cardiovascular biomarker outcomes included systolic and diastolic blood pressure; total cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol; glycated haemoglobin, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio and resting pulse rate. Biomarkers were analysed individually and as an allostatic load score. Wellbeing was measured using Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) and quality of life via Euro-QoL-5D (EQ-5D). Linear regression models were calculated adjusted for confounders. Compared to individuals with less stigmatising attitudes, results suggested that those with more negative attitudes exhibited poorer wellbeing and quality of life across all mental disorder/stigma groups, including those with no mental disorder (WEMWBS (range 14–70): b = -1.384, 95% CI: -2.107 to -0.661). People with severe mental illness generally had unhealthier biomarker profiles and allostatic load scores, but results were inconsistent for any additional influence of mental health stigma. Reducing stigma may be beneficial for population wellbeing, but further research is needed to clarify whether stigma contributes to adverse biomarkers amongst people with mental illness. Few studies have researched the consequences of mental health stigma. More stigmatising attitudes relate to poorer wellbeing amongst all groups. People with severe mental illness had more adverse biomarker profiles. Results were inconclusive for any additional influence of mental health stigma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C L Niedzwiedz
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, 1 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8RZ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
McCrory C, Fiorito G, Ni Cheallaigh C, Polidoro S, Karisola P, Alenius H, Layte R, Seeman T, Vineis P, Kenny RA. How does socio-economic position (SEP) get biologically embedded? A comparison of allostatic load and the epigenetic clock(s). Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:64-73. [PMID: 30818253 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Individuals of lower socio-economic position (SEP) carry a heavier burden of disease and morbidity and live shorter lives on average compared with their more advantaged counterparts. This has sparked research interest in the processes and mechanisms via which social adversity gets biologically embedded. The present study directly compares the empirical worth of two candidate mechanisms: Allostatic Load (AL) and the Epigenetic Clock(s) for advancing our understanding of embodiment using a sub-sample of 490 individuals from the Irish Longitudinal Study (TILDA) who were explicitly selected for this purpose based on their inter-generational life course social class trajectory. A battery of 14 biomarkers representing the activity of 4 different physiological systems: Immunological, Cardiovascular, Metabolic, and Renal was used to construct the AL score. Biomarkers were dichotomised into high and low risk groups according to sex-specific quartiles of risk and summed to create a count ranging from 0-14. Three measures of epigenetic age acceleration were computed according to three sets of age-associated Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) sites described by Horvath, Hannum and Levine. AL was strongly socially patterned across a number of measures of SEP, while the epigenetic clocks were not. AL partially mediated the association between measures of SEP and an objective measure of physiological functioning: performance on the Timed Up and Go (TUG test). We conclude that AL may represent the more promising candidate for understanding the pervasive link between SEP and health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cathal McCrory
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Giovanni Fiorito
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM, former HuGeF), Italy
| | | | - Silvia Polidoro
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM, former HuGeF), Italy
| | - Piia Karisola
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Harri Alenius
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Richard Layte
- Department of Sociology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Paolo Vineis
- MRCPHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Rose Anne Kenny
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Madathil S, Joseph L, Hardy R, Rousseau MC, Nicolau B. A Bayesian approach to investigate life course hypotheses involving continuous exposures. Int J Epidemiol 2019; 47:1623-1635. [PMID: 29912384 PMCID: PMC6208282 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyy107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Different hypotheses have been proposed in life course epidemiology on how a time-varying exposure can affect health or disease later in life. Researchers are often interested in investigating the probability of these hypotheses based on observed life course data. However, current techniques based on model/variable selection do not provide a direct estimate of this probability. We propose an alternative technique for a continuous exposure, using a Bayesian approach that has specific advantages, to investigate which life course hypotheses are supported by the observed data. Methods We demonstrate the technique, the relevant life course exposure model (RLM), using simulations. We also analyse data from a case-control study on risk factors of oral cancer, with repeated measurements of betel quid chewing across life. We investigate the relative importance of chewing one quid of betel per day, at three life periods: ≤20 years, 21–40 years and above 40 years of age, on the risk of developing oral cancer. Results RLM was able to correctly identify the life course hypothesis under which the data were simulated. Results from the case-control study showed that there was 74.3% probability that betel quid exposure earlier in life, compared with later, results in higher odds of developing oral cancer later in life. Conclusions RLM is a useful option to identify the life course hypothesis supported by the observed data prior to the estimation of a causal effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sreenath Madathil
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Institut Armand-Frappier, INRS, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Lawrence Joseph
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rebecca Hardy
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marie-Claude Rousseau
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Institut Armand-Frappier, INRS, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Belinda Nicolau
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Morales-Jinez A, Gallegos Cabriales E, D'Alonzo K, Ugarte-Esquivel A, López-Rincón F, Salazar-González BC. Social Factors Contributing to the Development of Allostatic Load in Older Adults: A Correlational- Predictive Study. AQUICHAN 2018. [DOI: 10.5294/aqui.2018.18.3.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objetivo: determinar si factores sociales como las condiciones de vivienda, la satisfacción con la casa, las características del vecindario, el apoyo social, las relaciones familiares y la asistencia a la iglesia contribuyen al desarrollo de la carga alostática en los adultos mayores. Materiales y método: se realizó un estudio correlacional y predictivo de corte transversal. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron una hoja de datos sociodemográficos, el instrumento de relaciones familiares percibidas, el cuestionario de Apoyo Social y la Escala de Movilidad Activa en el Entorno Comunitario, versión corta. Los biomarcadores de carga alostática utilizados fueron: presión arterial sistólica y diastólica, índice de masa corporal, circunferencia de la cintura, relación cintura-cadera, colesterol total, lipoproteína de alta densidad, hemoglobina glicosilada, fibrinógeno y proteína C-Reactiva. La muestra se calculó para para el contraste de la hipótesis de no relación (R2 = 0), en un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple con 11 covariables, con un nivel de significancia del .05 y una potencia del 90 % (.90), cuando el coeficinete de determinación poblacional (R2) es .15, tamaño de muestra que resultó en 131 adultos mayores. El análisis estadístico incluyó medidas descriptivas y modelos lineales generalizados. Resultados: los participantes tenían un riesgo medio o alto de carga alostática. El análisis del modelo de regresión lineal multivariante mostró que las mejores condiciones de vivienda, la satisfacción con la propia casa, la presencia de calles sin salida y la asistencia a la iglesia reducen la carga alostática y que el tráfico peligroso aumenta la carga alostática. Conclusiones: existen varios factores sociales que contribuyen al desarrollo de la carga alostática en adultos mayores. Es necesario crear estrategias de cuidado de enfermería hacia el entorno social para disminuir la carga alostática en el adulto mayor.
Collapse
|
27
|
Edes AN, Wolfe BA, Crews DE. The first multi-zoo application of an allostatic load index to western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 266:135-149. [PMID: 29746855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate stress responses are highly adaptive biological functions, maximizing survival probability in life-threatening situations. However, experiencing repeated and/or chronic stressors can generate physiological dysregulation and lead to disease. Because stress responses are multi-systemic and involve a wide range of physiological functions, identifying responses to stressors is best accomplished using integrated biomarker models. Allostatic load, defined as the physiological dysregulation that accumulates over the lifespan due to stressful experiences, is one such model. Allostatic load is measured using allostatic load indices, which are composites of biomarkers from multiple somatic systems. Previously, we reported the use of a 7-biomarker allostatic load index (albumin, CRH, cortisol, DHEA-S, glucose, IL-6, TNF-α) in western lowland gorillas housed at a single zoo. Herein, this index is expanded to examine allostatic load responses to lifetime stressors in gorillas from two additional zoos (n = 63) as well as two pooled samples. The index was created using quartile cut-points for each biomarker. Significant associations were observed between multiple predictor variables and allostatic load, including sex, age, number of stressful events (anesthetic events, zoo transfers, agonistic interactions with wounding, pregnancies), and rearing history (mother-reared, nursery-reared, wild-caught). Additionally, allostatic load was associated with indicators of morbidity (creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides), age at death, and mortality risk. These results are consistent with those reported in human allostatic load research, suggesting allostatic load indices have potential as an investigative and clinical tool for gorillas and other great apes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Edes
- Department of Anthropology, 174 West 18th Ave., The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.
| | - Barbara A Wolfe
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, 1920 Coffey Rd., The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Douglas E Crews
- Department of Anthropology, 174 West 18th Ave., The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; College of Public Health, 1841 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Christensen DS, Flensborg-Madsen T, Garde E, Hansen ÅM, Pedersen JM, Mortensen EL. Parental socioeconomic position and midlife allostatic load: a study of potential mediators. BMC Public Health 2018; 18:1029. [PMID: 30126406 PMCID: PMC6102839 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5956-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms underlying the association of parental socioeconomic position with later life allostatic load remain unclear. The present study aims to examine potential pathways underlying this association: personality, social relations, intelligence and education. METHODS The study comprised 361 members of the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort who participated in two subsequent follow-ups: the Prenatal Development Project (mean age 27 years) and the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank study (mean age 50 years). Allostatic load was based on 14 biomarkers representing the inflammatory, metabolic and cardiovascular system measured at midlife. Information on potential mediators was collected in young adulthood, and their role in the association of parental socioeconomic position with midlife allostatic load were examined in linear regression path analyses. RESULTS Parental socioeconomic position at one year was inversely associated with midlife allostatic load (β = - 0.238, p < .001). No mediation effects were found for personality or social relations. In a model including intelligence and education, a significant indirect effect was found for education (β = - 0.151, p < .001). A significant direct effect remained (β = - 0.111, p = .040). CONCLUSIONS Parental socioeconomic position was inversely associated with allostatic load in midlife. Results suggest that part of this association was mediated by education. A better understanding of the non-cognitive pathways related to education is an important prerequisite for the development of effective intervention strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dinne S Christensen
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark. .,Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 3B, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N,, Denmark.
| | - Trine Flensborg-Madsen
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark.,Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 3B, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N,, Denmark
| | - Ellen Garde
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark.,Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 3B, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N,, Denmark.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegard Allé 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Åse M Hansen
- Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1014, Copenhagen K, Denmark.,National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jolene M Pedersen
- Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 3B, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N,, Denmark.,Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1014, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Erik L Mortensen
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353, Copenhagen K, Denmark.,Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 3B, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen N,, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Green MJ, Popham F. Life course models: improving interpretation by consideration of total effects. Int J Epidemiol 2018; 46:1057-1062. [PMID: 28031311 PMCID: PMC5837734 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Life course epidemiology has used models of accumulation and critical or sensitive periods to examine the importance of exposure timing in disease aetiology. These models are usually used to describe the direct effects of exposures over the life course. In comparison with consideration of direct effects only, we show how consideration of total effects improves interpretation of these models, giving clearer notions of when it will be most effective to intervene. We show how life course variation in the total effects depends on the magnitude of the direct effects and the stability of the exposure. We discuss interpretation in terms of total, direct and indirect effects and highlight the causal assumptions required for conclusions as to the most effective timing of interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Green
- MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Frank Popham
- MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Kim GR, Jee SH, Pikhart H. Role of allostatic load and health behaviours in explaining socioeconomic disparities in mortality: a structural equation modelling approach. J Epidemiol Community Health 2018; 72:545-551. [DOI: 10.1136/jech-2017-209131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundThe relationship between socioeconomic status and mortality has been well established; however, the extent to which biological factors mediate this relationship is less clear, and empirical evidence from non-Western settings is limited. Allostasis, a cumulative measure of physiological dysregulation, has been proposed as the underlying mechanism linking socioeconomic status to adverse health outcomes. The current study aimed to ascertain the contribution of allostatic load (AL) and health behaviours to socioeconomic inequalities in mortality among Korean adults.MethodsThe sample comprised 70 713 middle-aged and older-aged adults, aged 40–79 years from the Korean Metabolic Syndrome Mortality Study. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), mediation analyses were performed to estimate the effects of socioeconomic position (SEP) on mortality over the follow-up and the extent to which AL, physical exercise and non-smoking status mediate the association between SEP and mortality.ResultsA total of 5618 deaths (7.9%) occurred during the mean follow-up of 15.2 years (SD 2.9). SEM confirmed a direct significant effect of SEP on mortality, as well as significant indirect paths through AL, physical exercise and non-smoking status.ConclusionsOur findings provide support for the mediating role of AL and health behaviours in the link between SEP and mortality. Policies designed to reduce social disparities in mortality in the long term should primarily focus on reducing stress and promoting healthy lifestyles among the socially disadvantaged groups. Future studies should further assess the role of other mediators such as psychosocial factors, which may contribute to socioeconomic inequalities in mortality.
Collapse
|
31
|
Hardy R, Tilling K. Commentary: The use and misuse of life course models. Int J Epidemiol 2018; 45:1003-1005. [PMID: 27880690 PMCID: PMC5965914 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Hardy
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kate Tilling
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol and School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
YANG Y, SUN L, ZHANG H, HUANG S, ZHU X. Allosatic load and its relationship with socioeconomic health disparities. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1042.2018.01475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
33
|
Johnson SC, Cavallaro FL, Leon DA. A systematic review of allostatic load in relation to socioeconomic position: Poor fidelity and major inconsistencies in biomarkers employed. Soc Sci Med 2017; 192:66-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
34
|
Landy R, Head J, Richards M, Hardy R. The effect of life course socioeconomic position on crystallised cognitive ability in two large UK cohort studies: a structured modelling approach. BMJ Open 2017; 7:e014461. [PMID: 28576891 PMCID: PMC5541359 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study systematically compared accumulation, sensitive period, critical period and social mobility models relating life course socioeconomic position (SEP) and adult crystallised cognitive ability, which has not been comprehensively investigated. DESIGN Two prospective cohort studies. PARTICIPANTS Five thousand three hundred and sixty-two participants in the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) Birth Cohort Study and 10 308 participants in the Whitehall II Occupational Cohort Study. MEASURES Childhood SEP was measured by father's occupational SEP, early adulthood SEP by educational qualifications and adult SEP by own occupational SEP. Each life course model was compared with a saturated model. RESULTS Using multiple imputation to account for missing data, the sensitive period model, which contained childhood, early adulthood and adult SEP terms, with different coefficients, provided the best fit for both men and women in the NSHD and Whitehall II cohorts. Early adulthood SEP had the largest coefficient in NSHD women, whereas for NSHD men early adulthood and adult SEP had similar coefficients. In Whitehall II adult SEP had the largest effect size for both men and women. CONCLUSIONS Sensitive period with all three time periods was the most appropriate life course models for adult crystallised cognitive ability in both cohorts, including an effect of childhood SEP. It is important to directly compare the life course models to determine which is the most appropriate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Landy
- Centre for Cancer Prevention, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jenny Head
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marcus Richards
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Hardy
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Marklein KE, Crews DE. Frail or hale: Skeletal frailty indices in Medieval London skeletons. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176025. [PMID: 28467438 PMCID: PMC5415061 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
To broaden bioarchaeological applicability of skeletal frailty indices (SFIs) and increase sample size, we propose indices with fewer biomarkers (2-11 non-metric biomarkers) and compare these reduced biomarker SFIs to the original metric/non-metric 13-biomarker SFI. From the 2-11-biomarker SFIs, we choose the index with the fewest biomarkers (6-biomarker SFI), which still maintains the statistical robusticity of a 13-biomarker SFI, and apply this index to the same Medieval monastic and nonmonastic populations, albeit with an increased sample size. For this increased monastic and nonmonastic sample, we also propose and implement a 4-biomarker SFI, comprised of biomarkers from each of four stressor categories, and compare these SFI distributions with those of the non-metric biomarker SFIs. From the Museum of London WORD database, we tabulate multiple SFIs (2- to 13-biomarkers) for Medieval monastic and nonmonastic samples (N = 134). We evaluate associations between these ten non-metric SFIs and the 13-biomarker SFI using Spearman's correlation coefficients. Subsequently, we test non-metric 6-biomarker and 4-biomarker SFI distributions for associations with cemetery, age, and sex using Analysis of Variance/Covariance (ANOVA/ANCOVA) on larger samples from the monastic and nonmonastic cemeteries (N = 517). For Medieval samples, Spearman's correlation coefficients show a significant association between the 13-biomarker SFI and all non-metric SFIs. Utilizing a 6-biomarker and parsimonious 4-biomarker SFI, we increase the nonmonastic and monastic samples and demonstrate significant lifestyle and sex differences in frailty that were not observed in the original, smaller sample. Results from the 6-biomarker and parsimonious 4-biomarker SFIs generally indicate similarities in means, explained variation (R2), and associated P-values (ANOVA/ANCOVA) within and between nonmonastic and monastic samples. We show that non-metric reduced biomarker SFIs provide alternative indices for application to other bioarchaeological collections. These findings suggest that a SFI, comprised of six or more non-metric biomarkers available for the specific sample, may have greater applicability than, but comparable statistical characteristics to, the originally proposed 13-biomarker SFI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E. Marklein
- Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Douglas E. Crews
- Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Duppen D, Van der Elst MCJ, Dury S, Lambotte D, De Donder L. The Social Environment’s Relationship With Frailty: Evidence From Existing Studies. J Appl Gerontol 2017; 38:3-26. [DOI: 10.1177/0733464816688310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasingly, policymakers assume that informal networks will provide care for frail older people. While the literature has mainly discussed the role of the family, broader social networks are also considered to be important. However, these social networks can diminish in later life. This systematic review investigates whether the social environment increases the risk of frailty or helps to prevent it. Findings from 15 original studies were classified using five different factors, which denoted five dimensions of the social environment: (a) social networks, (b) social support, (c) social participation, (d) subjective neighborhood experience, and (e) socioeconomic neighborhood characteristics. The discussion highlights that the social environment and frailty are indeed related, and how the neighborhood dimensions and social participation had more consistent results than social support and social networks. Conclusively, recommendations are formulated to contemplate all dimensions of the social environment for further research examining frailty and community care.
Collapse
|
37
|
Edes AN, Crews DE. Allostatic load and biological anthropology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 162 Suppl 63:44-70. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Edes
- Department of Anthropology and School of Public HealthThe Ohio State University
| | - Douglas E. Crews
- Department of Anthropology and School of Public HealthThe Ohio State University
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Barboza Solís C, Fantin R, Kelly-Irving M, Delpierre C. Physiological wear-and-tear and later subjective health in mid-life: Findings from the 1958 British birth cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 74:24-33. [PMID: 27567118 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Our body adapts continuously to environmental challenges and stressful conditions. Allostatic load (AL) is a concept that aims to capture the overall physiological wear-and-tear of the body triggered by the repeated activation of compensatory physiological mechanisms as a response to chronic stress. Growing evidence has shown a link between AL and later health decline, morbidity and mortality. However, due to the global physiological effect captured by the AL concept, it is particularly pertinent to examine its association with subsequent health by taking a broad definition of the latter. We examined the association between AL at 44 years and general health as measured by a latent multidimensional measure of subjective health at 50 years integrating sleep patterns, physical and mental health. METHODS AL was constructed using 14 biomarkers representing four physiological systems on 7573 members of the 1958 British birth cohort. Health status was captured using self-reported information about subjective health and summarized using a principal component analysis including: seven dimensions of the SF-36 questionnaire of health-related quality of life, the sleep subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study characterizing quality of sleep patterns, and a malaise inventory score detecting depressive symptoms. RESULTS Higher AL score was gradually associated with worse subjective health, after taking into account classic confounders. CONCLUSIONS Using a physiological index to grasp how the environment can "get under the skin" leading to poor health is of great interest, permitting a better understanding of life course origins of disease and social gradients in health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Barboza Solís
- LEASP - UMR 1027 Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France; Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 San José, Costa Rica.
| | - Romain Fantin
- LEASP - UMR 1027 Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France
| | | | - Cyrille Delpierre
- LEASP - UMR 1027 Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Barboza Solís C, Fantin R, Castagné R, Lang T, Delpierre C, Kelly-Irving M. Mediating pathways between parental socio-economic position and allostatic load in mid-life: Findings from the 1958 British birth cohort. Soc Sci Med 2016; 165:19-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
40
|
Whitley E, Benzeval M, Popham F. Associations of Successful Aging With Socioeconomic Position Across the Life-Course: The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Prospective Cohort Study. J Aging Health 2016; 30:52-74. [PMID: 27581420 PMCID: PMC5714158 DOI: 10.1177/0898264316665208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate how socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with multidimensional measures of successful aging (SA), and how this varies and accumulates across the life-course. Method: Using data from 1,733 Scottish men and women from two cohorts aged around 57 and 76, respectively, we explored associations of SA, based on the Rowe–Kahn model, with 10 measures of SEP measured in childhood and, distally and proximally, in adulthood. Results: Individual SEP associations with SA score were generally consistent across different indicators and life stages: Respondents with the most versus least favorable SEP had two additional positive SA dimensions. There was also a strong association between SA and cumulative SEP based on all 10 measures combined; respondents with the most versus least favorable lifelong SEP had four additional positive SA dimensions. Conclusion: SEP advantages/disadvantages act and accumulate across the life-course, resulting in widening socioeconomic inequalities in SA in later life.
Collapse
|
41
|
Smith M, Williamson AE, Walsh D, McCartney G. Is there a link between childhood adversity, attachment style and Scotland's excess mortality? Evidence, challenges and potential research. BMC Public Health 2016; 16:655. [PMID: 27465498 PMCID: PMC4964073 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3201-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Scotland has a persistently high mortality rate that is not solely due to the effects of socio-economic deprivation. This “excess” mortality is observed across the entire country, but is greatest in and around the post-industrial conurbation of West Central Scotland. Despite systematic investigation, the causes of the excess mortality remain the subject of ongoing debate. Discussion Attachment processes are a fundamental part of human development, and have a profound influence on adult personality and behaviour, especially in response to stressors. Many studies have also shown that childhood adversity is correlated with adult morbidity and mortality. The interplay between childhood adversity and attachment is complex and not fully elucidated, but will include socio-economic, intergenerational and psychological factors. Importantly, some adverse health outcomes for parents (such as problem substance use or suicide) will simultaneously act as risk factors for their children. Data show that some forms of “household dysfunction” relating to childhood adversity are more prevalent in Scotland: such problems include parental problem substance use, rates of imprisonment, rates of suicide and rates of children being taken into care. However other measures of childhood or family wellbeing have not been found to be substantially different in Scotland compared to England. Summary We suggest in this paper that the role of childhood adversity and attachment experience merits further investigation as a plausible mechanism influencing health in Scotland. A model is proposed which sets out some of the interactions between the factors of interest, and we propose parameters for the types of study which would be required to evaluate the validity of the model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Smith
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Commonwealth House, 32 Albion Street, Glasgow, G1 1LH, UK.
| | - A E Williamson
- General Practice and Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, 1 Horselethill Road, Glasgow, G12 9LX, UK
| | - D Walsh
- Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Olympia Building, 2-16 Orr Street, Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow, G40 2QH, UK
| | - G McCartney
- NHS Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QE, UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Jonsson F, San Sebastian M, Strömsten LMJ, Hammarström A, Gustafsson PE. Life Course Pathways of Adversities Linking Adolescent Socioeconomic Circumstances and Functional Somatic Symptoms in Mid-Adulthood: A Path Analysis Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155963. [PMID: 27214206 PMCID: PMC4877101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While research examining the health impact of early socioeconomic conditions suggests that effects may exist independently of or jointly with adult socioeconomic position, studies exploring other potential pathways are few. Following a chain of risk life course model, this prospective study seeks to examine whether pathways of occupational class as well as material and social adversities across the life course link socioeconomic disadvantage in adolescent to functional somatic symptoms in mid-adulthood. Applying path analysis, a multiple mediator model was assessed using prospective data collected during 26 years through the Northern Swedish Cohort. The sample contained 987 individuals residing in the municipality of Luleå, Sweden, who participated in questionnaire surveys at age 16, 21, 30 and 42. Socioeconomic conditions (high/low) in adolescence (age 16) were operationalized using the occupation of the parents, while occupational class in adulthood (manual/non-manual) was measured using the participant’s own occupation at age 21 and 30. The adversity measurements were constructed as separate age specific parcels at age 21 and 30. Social adversity included items pertaining to stressful life events that could potentially harm salient relationships, while material adversity was operationalized using items concerning unfavorable financial and material circumstances. Functional somatic symptoms at age 42 was a summary measure of self-reported physical symptoms, palpitation and sleeping difficulties that had occurred during the last 12 months. An association between socioeconomic conditions at age 16 and functional somatic symptoms at age 42 (r = 0.068) which was partially explained by people’s own occupational class at age 21 and then material as well as social adversity at age 30 was revealed. Rather than proposing a direct and independent health effect of the socioeconomic conditions of the family, the present study suggests that growing up in an unfavorable socioeconomic environment might be a source for a chain of adverse material and social living situations, which in turn affects adult health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frida Jonsson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Miguel San Sebastian
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lotta M. J. Strömsten
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anne Hammarström
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Per E. Gustafsson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Robertson T, Watts E. The importance of age, sex and place in understanding socioeconomic inequalities in allostatic load: Evidence from the Scottish Health Survey (2008-2011). BMC Public Health 2016; 16:126. [PMID: 26856976 PMCID: PMC4746832 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-2796-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the broad spectrum of health and wellbeing outcomes that are patterned by socioeconomic position (SEP), it has been suggested that there may be common biological pathways linking SEP and health. Allostatic load is one such pathway, which aims to measure cumulative burden/dysregulation across multiple physiological systems. This study aimed to determine the contextual and demographic factors (age, sex and place) that may be important in better understanding the links between lower SEP and higher allostatic load. METHODS Data were from a nationally representative sample of adults (18+): the Scottish Health Survey (2008-2011). Higher SEP ('1') was defined as having 'Higher'-level, secondary school qualifications versus having lower level or no qualifications ('0'). For allostatic load, a range of 10 biomarkers across the cardiovascular, metabolic and immune systems were used. Respondents were scored "1" for each biomarker that fell into the highest quartile of risk. Linear regressions were run in STATA, including SEP, age (continuous and as a 7-category variable), sex (male/female), urbanity (a 5-category variable ranging from primary cities to remote rural areas) and geographical location (based on 10 area-level healthboards). Interactions between SEP and each predictor, as well as stratified analyses, were tested. RESULTS Lower SEP was associated with higher allostatic load even after adjusting for age, sex and place (b = -0.631, 95 % CI -0.795, -0.389, p < 0.001). There was no significant effect moderation between SEP and age, sex or place. Stratified analysis did show that the inequality identified in the baseline models widened with age, becoming significant at ages 35-44, before narrowing at older ages (75+). There was no difference by sex, but more mixed findings with regards place (urbanity or geographical location), with a mix of significant and non-significant results by SEP that did not appear to follow any pattern. CONCLUSIONS Inequalities in allostatic load by educational attainment, as a measure of SEP, are consistent with age, sex and place. However, these stratified analyses showed that these inequalities did widen with age, before narrowing in later life, matching the patterns seen with other objective and subjective health measures. However, effect moderation analysis did not support evidence of a statistically significant interaction between age and SEP. Context remains an important feature in understanding and potentially addressing inequalities, although may be less of an issue in terms of physiological burden.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tony Robertson
- School of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Eleanor Watts
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Gale CR, Booth T, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Intelligence and socioeconomic position in childhood in relation to frailty and cumulative allostatic load in later life: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. J Epidemiol Community Health 2015; 70:576-82. [PMID: 26700299 PMCID: PMC4820036 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2015-205789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Background Information on childhood determinants of frailty or allostatic load in later life is sparse. We investigated whether lower intelligence and greater socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood increased the risk of frailty and higher allostatic load, and explored the mediating roles of adult socioeconomic position, educational attainment and health behaviours. Methods Participants were 876 members of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 whose intelligence was assessed at age 11. At age 70, frailty was assessed using the Fried criteria. Measurements were made of fibrinogen, triglyceride, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, albumin, glycated haemoglobin, C reactive protein, body mass index and blood pressure, from which an allostatic load score was calculated. Results In sex-adjusted analyses, lower intelligence and lower social class in childhood were associated with an increased risk of frailty: relative risks (95% CIs) were 1.57 (1.21 to 2.03) for a SD decrease in intelligence and 1.48 (1.12 to 1.96) for a category decrease in social class. In the fully adjusted model, both associations ceased to be significant: relative risks were 1.13 (0.83 to 1.54) and 1.19 (0.86 to 1.61), respectively. Educational attainment had a significant mediating effect. Lower childhood intelligence in childhood, but not social class, was associated with higher allostatic load. The sex-adjusted coefficient for allostatic load for a SD decrease in intelligence was 0.10 (0.07 to 0.14). In the fully adjusted model, this association was attenuated but remained significant (0.05 (0.01 to 0.09)). Conclusions Further research will need to investigate the mechanisms whereby lower childhood intelligence is linked to higher allostatic load in later life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catharine R Gale
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Tom Booth
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John M Starr
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK Geriatric Medicine Unit, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
The role of material, psychosocial and behavioral factors in mediating the association between socioeconomic position and allostatic load (measured by cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory markers). Brain Behav Immun 2015; 45:41-9. [PMID: 25459100 PMCID: PMC4349498 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Revised: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lower socioeconomic position (SEP), both accumulated across the life course and at different life-stages, has been found to be associated with higher cumulative physiological burden, as measured by allostatic load. This study aimed to identify what factors mediate the association between SEP and allostatic load, as measured through combining cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory markers. We explored the role of material, psychological and behavioral factors, accumulated across two periods in time, in mediating the association between SEP and allostatic load. Data are from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study, with respondents followed over five waves of data collection from ages 35 to 55 (n=999). Allostatic load was measured by summing nine binary biomarker scores ('1'=in the highest-risk quartile) measured when respondents were 55years old (wave 5). SEP was measured by a person's accumulated social class over two periods All mediators and SEP were measured at baseline in 1987 and 20years later and combined to form accumulated measures of risk. Material mediators included car and home ownership, and having low income. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used as the psychosocial mediator. Behavioral mediators included smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and diet. Path analysis using linear regressions adjusting for sex were performed for each of the potential mediators to assess evidence of attenuation in the association between lower SEP and higher allostatic load. Analyses by mediator type revealed that renting one's home (approximately 78% attenuation) and having low income (approx. 62% attenuation) largely attenuated the SEP-allostatic load association. GHQ did not attenuate the association. Smoking had the strongest attenuating effect of all health behaviors (by 33%) with no other health behaviors attenuating the association substantially. Material factors, namely home tenure and income status, and smoking have important roles in explaining socioeconomic disparities in allostatic load, particularly when accumulated over time.
Collapse
|
46
|
Sheikh MA, Abelsen B, Olsen JA. Role of respondents' education as a mediator and moderator in the association between childhood socio-economic status and later health and wellbeing. BMC Public Health 2014; 14:1172. [PMID: 25404212 PMCID: PMC4289264 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-1172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Most research assessing the effect of childhood socioeconomic status (CSES) on health in adulthood has focused on cause-specific mortality. Low CSES is associated with mortality from coronary heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases in adulthood. But little evidence is available on the unique effect of different indicators of CSES on subjective measures of health and wellbeing in adulthood. Methods Cross-sectional data from the last wave of The Tromsø Study (n = 12,984) was used to assess the unique effect of three indicators of CSES (childhood financial conditions, mothers’ education and fathers’ education) on a range of subjective health measures: EQ-5D health dimensions, self-rated health, age-comparative self-rated health, as well as subjective wellbeing. Data was analyzed with the Paramed command in Stata. Log-linear regression was used for the subjective measures of health and wellbeing to estimate the natural direct effects (NDE’s), natural indirect effects (NIE’s), controlled direct effects (CDE’s) and marginal total effects (MTE’s) as risk ratios (RRs). Results Low childhood financial conditions were associated with lower health and wellbeing in adulthood, independently of respondents’ education. Among men, Low childhood financial conditions increased the risk (NDE) of being unhealthy on the composite EQ-5D by 22% (RR 1.22, 95% 1.14-1.31) and on subjective wellbeing by 24% (RR 1.24, 95% 1.18-1.30), while for women the risk increased by 16% (RR 1.16, 95% 1.10-1.23) and 26% (RR 1.26, 95% 1.19-1.33), respectively. Among men, the NDE of low mothers’ education on age-comparative self-rated health increased by 9% (RR 1.09, 95% 1.01-1.16), while the NIE increased the risk by 3% (RR 1.03, 95% 1.01-1.04). The NDE of low mothers’ education increased the risk on anxiety/depression among women by 38% (RR 1.38, 95% 1.13-1.69), whereas the NIE increased the risk by 5% (RR 1.05, 95% 1.02-1.08). Conclusions Childhood financial conditions have a unique direct effect on a wide range of health and wellbeing measures. These findings apply to both men and women. Generally, parental education has an indirect effect on later health, but mothers’ education may also have a long-term direct effect on later health.
Collapse
|
47
|
Dich N, Hansen ÅM, Avlund K, Lund R, Mortensen EL, Bruunsgaard H, Rod NH. Early life adversity potentiates the effects of later life stress on cumulative physiological dysregulation. ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING 2014; 28:372-90. [DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2014.969720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
48
|
Cable N. Life course approach in social epidemiology: an overview, application and future implications. J Epidemiol 2014; 24:347-52. [PMID: 25018148 PMCID: PMC4150004 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20140045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of the life course approach to social epidemiology has helped epidemiologists theoretically examine social gradients in population health. Longitudinal data with rich contextual information collected repeatedly and advanced statistical approaches have made this challenging task easier. This review paper provides an overview of the life course approach in epidemiology, its research application, and future challenges. In summary, a systematic approach to methods, including theoretically guided measurement of socioeconomic position, would assist researchers in gathering evidence for reducing social gradients in health, and collaboration across individual disciplines will make this task achievable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Cable
- Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health University College London
| |
Collapse
|