Parental education as a predictor of offspring behavioural and physiological cardiovascular disease risk factors

Childhood socio-economic disadvantage has been shown to be associated with an elevated rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in adulthood. The objective of this study is to examine associations between mothers' and fathers' education and offspring CVD risk factors.

The Oslo Youth Study (n = 498) was initiated in 1979. Children (age 11-15 years) attending six schools and their parents were included. Information on education was collected for parents and participants. Participants were followed through 2006 (age 40 years). Information about physical activity, diet, smoking, binge drinking, body mass index (BMI), s-cholesterol, s-triglycerides and blood pressure was collected in 1981, 1991 and 2006.

Fathers' education was inversely associated with participants' BMI at 15 and 25 years, cholesterol at 25 and 40 years, triglycerides at 25 years and systolic blood pressure at 15 and 25 years (regression coefficients -0.18 to -0.11; P < 0.05 for all). The effects were weakened after adjusting for participants' own education. Maternal education showed no association with these risk factors. After controlling for participants' own education, associations between parental education and behavioural risk factors in adulthood were few.

Any impact of parental education on offspring CVD risk factors seemed to be mediated via subject's own education. Parental education offered little predictive capacity for offspring CVD risk factors.