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Published on: August 7, 2017
Socioeconomic status inequalities in low-grade inflammation during childhood
1Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Family socioeconomic status (SES) is linked to higher inflammation in children. These associations are stronger in early and mid-childhood, highlighting potential health disparities. This research sheds light on chronic stress impacts on child health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Biomedical Science
Background:
- Family socioeconomic status (SES) contributes to child health disparities in the USA.
- Chronic stress, influenced by SES, can impact children's physiology and lead to future health inequalities.
- The effects of SES on child health may vary with age due to differing exposures and susceptibilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between family SES and low-grade inflammation (measured by C-reactive protein, CRP) in children.
- To evaluate how child age moderates the relationship between SES and CRP.
- To understand the physiological pathways linking SES to child health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
- Employed Tobit regression models to analyze SES associations with CRP in children aged 2-18 years.
- Focused on low-grade inflammation by limiting the sample to participants with CRP levels ≤10 mg/l (N=13,165).
Main Results:
- Children with parents lacking a high school degree had 35% higher CRP than those with college-graduate parents.
- Children in poverty exhibited 24% higher CRP compared to those from high-income families.
- Associations between low education/poverty and CRP were reduced to 19% and 15% respectively after accounting for body mass index; significant negative age interactions were observed.
Conclusions:
- Family SES is significantly associated with low-grade inflammation in children.
- These SES-inflammation associations appear to be more pronounced during early and mid-childhood.
- Further research is needed to identify specific stressors linked to low SES that may dysregulate the immune system in children.
Background:
Family socioeconomic status (SES) is an important source of child health disparities in the USA. Chronic stress is one way SES may impact children's physiology with implications for later health inequalities. These processes may work differently across childhood due to differences in exposure and susceptibility to stressors at different ages. We assess associations between family SES and one biomarker of chronic stress exposure-low-grade inflammation detected by elevated C reactive protein (CRP)-and evaluate differences in the associations by child age.
Methods:
We used nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Tobit regression models to estimate SES associations with CRP and the moderating effects of age for children age 2-18 years. Our sample was limited to CRP ≤10 mg/l to focus on low-grade inflammation (N=13 165).
Results:
Children whose parent had less than a high school degree had 35% higher CRP than those with a college graduate parent; and, poor children had 24% higher CRP than those with high family income, net of controls. When children's body mass index was accounted for, low education and poverty associations were reduced to 19% and 15%, respectively. Child age interactions were negative and significant for both parental education and family income.
Conclusions:
This study provides new evidence that SES is associated with low-grade inflammation in children, and that these associations may be particularly strong during early and mid-childhood. Future research should further our understanding of stressors related to low family SES that may lead to immune system dysregulation during childhood.
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