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Debbie A Lawlor, PhD, G. David Batty, PhD, Susan M.B. Morton, PhD, Heather Clark, MSc, Sally Macintyre, PhD and David A. Leon, PhD

Debbie A. Lawlor is with the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, England. At the time of this study, G. David Batty was with the Department of Social Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Susan M. B. Morton is with the School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Heather Clark is with the Dugald Baird Centre for Research on Women’s Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland. Sally Macintyre is with the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. David A. Leon is with the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Debbie A. Lawlor, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS7 8QA, United Kingdom (e-mail: d.a.lawlor{at}bristol.ac.uk).

Objectives. We assessed the associations of childhood socioeconomic position with cardiovascular disease risk factors (smoking, binge alcohol drinking, and being overweight) and examined the roles of educational attainment and cognitive functioning in these associations.

Methods. Data were derived from a cohort study involving 7184 individuals who were born in Aberdeen, Scotland, between 1950 and 1956; had detailed records on perinatal characteristics, childhood anthropometry, and cognitive functioning; and responded to a mailed questionnaire when they were aged 45 to 52 years.

Results. Strong graded associations existed between social class at birth and smoking, binge drinking, and being overweight. Adjustment for educational attainment completely attenuated these associations. However, after control for adult social class, adult income and other potential confounding or mediating factors, some association remained.

Conclusions. Educational attainment is an important mediating factor in the relation between socioeconomic adversity in childhood and smoking, binge drinking, and being overweight in adulthood.

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