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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.129288v1 99/2/320    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Watt, H. C. Articles by Ebrahim, S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Watt, H. C. Articles by Ebrahim, S. Related Collections Epidemiology Exercise/Physical Activity Health Policy Nutrition/Food Other Statistics/Evaluation/Research Women's Health

Hilary C. Watt, MSc, MA, Claire Carson, PhD, Debbie A. Lawlor, PhD, MBChB, MPH, FFPH, Rita Patel, MSc and Shah Ebrahim, DM, MSc, BMedSci, FRCP, FFPHM

Hilary C. Watt, Claire Carson, and Shah Ebrahim are with the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England. Debbie A. Lawlor and Rita Patel are with the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, England.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Shah Ebrahim, BMedSci, MSc, DM, FRCP, FFPHM, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, England (e-mail: shah.ebrahim{at}lshtm.ac.uk).

Objectives. We examined the association between health behaviors and socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood and adult life.

Methods. Self-reported diet, smoking, and physical activity were determined among 3523 women aged 60 to 79 years recruited from general practices in 23 British towns from 1999 through 2001.

Results. The most affluent women reported eating more fruit, vegetables, chicken, and fish and less red or processed meat than did less affluent women. Affluent women were less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise. Life course SES did not influence the types of fat, bread, and milk consumed. Adult SES predicted consumption of all foods considered and predicted smoking and physical activity habits independently of childhood SES. Childhood SES predicted fruit and vegetable consumption independently of adult SES and, to a lesser extent, predicted physical activity. Downward social mobility over the life course was associated with poorer diets and reduced physical activity.

Conclusions. Among older women, healthful eating and physical activity were associated with both current and childhood SES. Interventions designed to improve social inequalities in health behaviors should be applied during both childhood and adult life.