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Associations between childhood to adulthood socio-economic mobility and adult diet quality

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 04:07 authored by Johanna Wilson, Sugumar, D, McNaughton, SA, Seana GallSeana Gall, Terry DwyerTerry Dwyer, Alison VennAlison Venn, Kylie SmithKylie Smith
The impact of change in socio-economic status (SES) from childhood to adulthood (SES mobility) on adult diet is not well understood. This study examined associations between three SES mobility variables (area disadvantage, education, occupation) and adult diet quality. 1482 Australian participants reported childhood area-level SES in 1985 (aged 10-15 years) and retrospectively reported highest parental education and main occupation (until participant age 12) and own area-level SES, education, occupation and dietary intake in 2004-2006 (aged 26-36 years). A Dietary Guidelines Index (DGI) was calculated from food frequency and habit questionnaires. A higher score (range 0-100) indicated better diet quality. Sex-stratified linear regression models adjusted for confounders. Area-level SES mobility was not associated with diet quality. Compared with stable high (university) education, stable low (school only) was associated with lower DGI scores (males: β = -5·5, 95 % CI: -8·9, -2·1; females: β = -6·3, 95 % CI: -9·3, -3·4), as was downward educational mobility (participant's education lower than their parents) (males: β = -5·3, 95 % CI: -8·5, -2·0; females: β = -4·5, 95 % CI: -7·2, -1·7) and stable intermediate (vocational) education among males (β = -3·9, 95 % CI: -7·0, -0·7). Compared with stable high (professional/managerial) occupation, stable low (manual/out of workforce) males (β = -4·9, 95 % CI: -7·6, -2·2), and participants with downward occupation mobility (males: β = -3·2, 95 % CI: -5·3, -1·1; females: β = -2·8, 95 % CI: -4·8, -0·8) had lower DGI scores. In this cohort, intergenerational low education and occupation, and downward educational and occupational mobility, were associated with poor adult diet quality.

History

Publication title

The British Journal of Nutrition

Article number

online ahead of print

Number

online ahead of print

Pagination

1-11

ISSN

0007-1145

Department/School

Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Publisher

C A B I Publishing

Place of publication

C/O Publishing Division, Wallingford, England, Oxon, Ox10 8De

Rights statement

© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Evaluation of health outcomes

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    University Of Tasmania

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