McElroy Eoin, Richards Marcus, Fitzsimons Emla, Conti Gabriella, Ploubidis George B, Sullivan Alice, Moulton Vanessa
Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2021 Jul;75(7):643-650. doi: 10.1136/jech-2020-215637. Epub 2021 Feb 25.
Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is robustly associated with cognitive function later in life. However, it is unclear whether this reflects a direct relationship, or an indirect association via modifiable factors such as educational attainment and occupation. We sought to clarify these associations using retrospectively harmonised data from three ongoing British birth cohorts.
We analysed data from the 1946 National Survey of Health and Development (n=2283), the 1958 National Child Development Study (n=9385) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (n=7631). Retrospective harmonisation was used to derive equivalent indicators of cognition, SEP, education and occupation across the three cohorts. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the association between childhood SEP and mid-life cognitive function, via childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment and mid-life occupation.
Across all three cohorts, no direct pathways were observed between childhood SEP and mid-life cognitive function. Rather, this association was indirect via the three temporally ordered mediators. In addition, the direct pathway between childhood cognition and adult cognitive function was weaker in the two younger studies.
Across three British birth cohorts, we found that the association between early life SEP and mid-life cognitive function was fully mediated by childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment and occupational status. Furthermore, the association between early cognitive ability and mid-life cognitive function has decreased in younger generations. Therefore, cognitive function in adulthood may be influenced by modifiable factors and societal change.
儿童时期的社会经济地位（SEP）与成年后的认知功能密切相关。然而，尚不清楚这是反映了直接关系，还是通过教育程度和职业等可改变因素的间接关联。我们试图利用来自三个正在进行的英国出生队列的回顾性协调数据来阐明这些关联。
我们分析了1946年全国健康与发展调查（n = 2283）、1958年全国儿童发展研究（n = 9385）和1970年英国队列研究（n = 7631）的数据。采用回顾性协调方法得出三个队列中认知、SEP、教育和职业的等效指标。使用结构方程模型来检验儿童SEP与中年认知功能之间的关联，途径包括儿童认知能力、教育程度和中年职业。
在所有三个队列中，未观察到儿童SEP与中年认知功能之间的直接路径。相反，这种关联是通过三个按时间顺序排列的中介因素间接产生的。此外，在两项较年轻的研究中，儿童认知与成人认知功能之间的直接路径较弱。
在三个英国出生队列中，我们发现早年SEP与中年认知功能之间的关联完全由儿童认知能力、教育程度和职业地位介导。此外，年轻一代中早期认知能力与中年认知功能之间的关联有所下降。因此，成年期的认知功能可能受到可改变因素和社会变化的影响。
