Table 4. Body Size at Birth and in Child-and Adulthood and Odds for Retaining Top Scores in Cognitive Ability Over Five Decadea.
| Body size (unconditional on previous history) in standard deviation units at (years): | Cognitive ability test scores in: Top third versus middle and bottom thirds at age 20.1 and 67.9 years | |||||
| Unadjusted | Adjusted b,c,d | |||||
| OR | 95% CI | P | OR | 95% CI | P | |
| Weight | ||||||
| Birth | 1.22 | 1.04, 1.44 | 0.02 | 1.36 | 1.07, 1.74 | 0.01 |
| 2 | 1.59 | 1.33, 1.91 | <0.001 | 1.65 | 1.32, 2.06 | <0.001 |
| 7 | 1.60 | 1.31, 1.96 | <0.001 | 1.67 | 1.28, 2.17 | <0.001 |
| 11 | 1.39 | 1.14, 1.70 | 0.001 | 1.45 | 1.12, 1.87 | 0.004 |
| 20.1 | 1.50 | 1.26, 1.78 | <0.001 | 1.38 | 1.11, 1.71 | 0.004 |
| 67.9 | 0.97 | 0.83, 1.14 | 0.70 | 0.97 | 0.80, 1.18 | 0.75 |
| Length/Height | ||||||
| Birth | 1.14 | 0.97, 1.33 | 0.11 | 1.28 | 1.02, 1.59 | 0.03 c |
| 2 | 1.37 | 1.16, 1.63 | <0.001 | 1.38 | 1.11, 1.72 | 0.003 |
| 7 | 1.42 | 1.17, 1.72 | <0.001 | 1.46 | 1.12, 1.89 | 0.01 |
| 11 | 1.42 | 1.16, 1.73 | 0.001 | 1.58 | 1.20, 2.09 | 0.001 |
| 20.1 | 1.44 | 1.20, 1.72 | <0.001 | 1.61 | 1.25, 2.06 | <0.001 |
| 67.9 | 1.40 | 1.18, 1.64 | <0.001 | 1.54 | 1.22, 1.94 | <0.001 |
| Ponderal index/Body mass index | ||||||
| Birth | 1.17 | 0.99, 1.39 | 0.07 | 1.10 | 0.88, 1.36 | 0.41 |
| 2 | 1.31 | 1.10, 1.55 | 0.002 | 1.34 | 1.09, 1.65 | 0.01 |
| 7 | 1.34 | 1.11, 1.62 | 0.002 | 1.36 | 1.09, 1.71 | 0.01 |
| 11 | 1.18 | 0.97, 1.42 | 0.09 | 1.14 | 0.90, 1.43 | 0.28 |
| 20.1 | 1.30 | 1.09, 1.54 | 0.003 | 1.15 | 0.93, 1.41 | 0.19 |
| 67.9 | 0.84 | 0.71, 0.99 | 0.04 | 0.84 | 0.69, 1.02 | 0.08 |
| Head circumference e | ||||||
| Birth | 1.26 | 1.06, 1.49 | 0.01 | 1.43 | 1.14, 1.79 | 0.002 |
| 67.9 | 1.26 | 1.07, 1.49 | 0.01 | 1.35 | 1.11, 1.65 | 0.003 |
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio.
Logistic regression analyses were conducted as presented in Figure 1, panel A.
Adjustments were made for length of gestation (birth measures), father's occupational status in childhood, parity, mother's age and height at delivery, history of breastfeeding, age at testing cognitive ability at 20.1 years, and time interval between tests of cognitive ability from 20.1 to 67.9 years.
A further model adjusted for ‘b’ plus highest own achieved level of education. The marked associations were rendered non-significant. The marked associations were rendered non-significant. Unmarked associations remained as in the adjusted model ‘b’.
A further model adjusted for ‘b’ plus diagnoses of stroke and coronary heart disease. The marked associations were rendered non-significant. Unmarked associations remained as in the adjusted model ‘b’.
Measurements of head circumference at two, seven, 11 and 20.1 years were not available.