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Childhood socioeconomic position and adult mental wellbeing: Evidence from four British birth cohort studies

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  • Natasha Wood
  • David Bann
  • Rebecca Hardy
  • Catharine Gale
  • Alissa Goodman
  • Claire Crawford
  • Mai Stafford

Abstract

Background: There is much evidence showing that childhood socioeconomic position is associated with physical health in adulthood; however existing evidence on how early life disadvantage is associated with adult mental wellbeing is inconsistent. This paper investigated whether childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with adult mental wellbeing and to what extent any association is explained by adult SEP using harmonised data from four British birth cohort studies. Methods: The sample comprised 20,717 participants with mental wellbeing data in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS), the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), the National Child Development Study (NCDS), and the British Cohort Study (BCS70). Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) scores at age 73 (HCS), 60–64 (NSHD), 50 (NCDS), or 42 (BCS70) were used. Harmonised socioeconomic position (Registrar General’s Social Classification) was ascertained in childhood (age 10/11) and adulthood (age 42/43). Associations between childhood SEP, adult SEP, and wellbeing were tested using linear regression and multi-group structural equation models. Results: More advantaged father’s social class was associated with better adult mental wellbeing in the BCS70 and the NCDS. This association was independent of adult SEP in the BCS70 but fully mediated by adult SEP in the NCDS. There was no evidence of an association between father’s social class and adult mental wellbeing in the HCS or the NSHD. Conclusions: Socioeconomic conditions in childhood are directly and indirectly, through adult socioeconomic pathways, associated with adult mental wellbeing, but findings from these harmonised data suggest this association may depend on cohort or age.

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  • Natasha Wood & David Bann & Rebecca Hardy & Catharine Gale & Alissa Goodman & Claire Crawford & Mai Stafford, 2017. "Childhood socioeconomic position and adult mental wellbeing: Evidence from four British birth cohort studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-13, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0185798
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185798
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mai Stafford & Catharine R Gale & Gita Mishra & Marcus Richards & Stephanie Black & Diana L Kuh, 2015. "Childhood Environment and Mental Wellbeing at Age 60-64 Years: Prospective Evidence from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-12, June.
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    1. Patty Doran & Paul Bradshaw & Susan Morton & El-Shadan Tautolo & James Williams & Chris Cunningham, 2020. "Growing up Healthy in Families Across the Globe: Cross-Cultural Harmonisation of Childhood Risk-Factors Using Longitudinal Studies from Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(6), pages 1921-1935, December.
    2. Kathrin Komp-Leukkunen, 2019. "Capturing the diversity of working age life-courses: A European perspective on cohorts born before 1945," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(2), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Karyn Morrissey & Tim Taylor & Gengyang Tu, 2023. "Estimating the Impact of Relative Financial Circumstances in Childhood on Adult Mental Wellbeing: a Mediation Analysis," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(2), pages 915-930, April.
    4. Claudia Börnhorst & Dörte Heger & Anne Mensen, 2019. "Associations of childhood health and financial situation with quality of life after retirement – regional variation across Europe," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-17, April.
    5. John Moriarty & Patricia Gillen & John Mallett & Jill Manthorpe & Heike Schröder & Paula McFadden, 2020. "Seeing the Finish Line? Retirement Perceptions and Wellbeing among Social Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-13, June.

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