Table 1. Father’s social class (10/11 y) and BMI across adulthood in the 1946 NSHD, the 1958 NCDS, and the 1970 BCS British birth cohort studies.
| kg/m2 BMI difference (95% CI) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohort | Gender, age | |||||||
| 1946 NSHD | Men | N | I (ref) | II | III NM | III M | IV | V |
| 20 | 1,562 | - | 0.6 (0.0, 1.2) | 0.3 (−0.3, 0.9) | 0.9 (0.3, 1.4) | 0.9 (0.3, 1.5) | 1.4 (0.7, 2.2) | |
| 26 | 1,552 | - | 0.7 (0.1, 1.3) | 0.6 (−0.1, 1.3) | 1.2 (0.6, 1.7) | 1.3 (0.6, 2.0) | 1.7 (0.9, 2.5) | |
| 36 | 1,365 | - | 0.9 (0.1, 1.8) | 0.7 (−0.2, 1.6) | 1.6 (0.8, 2.4) | 1.8 (0.9, 2.7) | 1.5 (0.4, 2.6) | |
| 43 | 1,338 | - # | 0.9 (0.1, 1.8) | 0.8 (−0.1, 1.7) | 1.7 (0.9, 2.4) | 1.9 (1.0, 2.8) | 1.3 (0.2, 2.3) | |
| 53 | 1,206 | - # | 1.0 (0.0, 2.0) | 0.7 (−0.3, 1.8) | 1.9 (1.0, 2.9) | 2.2 (1.1, 3.3) | 1.5 (0.3, 2.8) | |
| 60–64 | 898 | - # | 0.8 (−0.4, 2.0) | 0.7 (−0.5, 1.8) | 2.2 (1.2, 3.3) | 2.3 (1.0, 3.5) | 1.1 (−0.5, 2.8) | |
| 1958 NCDS | 23 | 4,046 | - | 0.4 (−0.1, 0.8) | 0.3 (−0.2, 0.8) | 0.8 (0.4, 1.3) | 0.8 (0.3, 1.3) | 0.9 (0.4, 1.4) |
| 33 | 3,547 | - | 0.3 (−0.3, 1.0) | 0.6 (0.0, 1.3) | 0.9 (0.3, 1.5) | 1.0 (0.4, 1.7) | 0.9 (0.2, 1.6) | |
| 42 | 3,637 | - | 0.7 (0.0, 1.3) | 0.7 (0.0, 1.4) | 1.0 (0.4, 1.6) | 1.2 (0.5, 1.9) | 1.4 (0.7, 2.2) | |
| 44 | 3,046 | - | 0.7 (−0.1, 1.4) | 0.8 (0.0, 1.7) | 1.2 (0.5, 1.9) | 1.6 (0.8, 2.4) | 1.8 (0.9, 2.6) | |
| 50 | 2,766 | - | 1.0 (0.1, 1.8) | 1.1 (0.2, 2.1) | 1.6 (0.8, 2.4) | 2.2 (1.3, 3.1) | 2.1 (1.2, 3.1) | |
| 1970 BCS | 26 | 1,923 | - | 0.3 (−0.4, 1.0) | 0.0 (−0.8, 0.7) | 0.8 (0.1, 1.4) | 1.1 (0.4, 1.9) | 1.2 (0.3, 2.1) |
| 30 | 3,960 | - | 0.4 (−0.1, 1.0) | 0.3 (−0.4, 0.9) | 0.8 (0.3, 1.3) | 0.6 (0.0, 1.2) | 0.7 (0.0, 1.4) | |
| 34 | 3,435 | - | 0.4 (−0.2, 1.0) | 0.4 (−0.3, 1.1) | 1.0 (0.4, 1.6) | 1.1 (0.4, 1.8) | 1.2 (0.4, 1.9) | |
| 42 | 3,208 | - | 0.4 (−0.4, 1.1) | 0.6 (−0.2, 1.5) | 1.3 (0.6, 2.0) | 1.3 (0.5, 2.1) | 0.9 (0.0, 1.9) | |
| 1946 NSHD | Women | N | I (ref) | II | III NM | III M | IV | V |
| 20 | 1,426 | - | 0.3 (−0.4, 1.0) | −0.2 (−0.8, 0.5) | 0.3 (−0.3, 0.9) | 0.8 (0.1, 1.4) | 0.9 (0.0, 1.9) | |
| 26 | 1,543 | - | 0.5 (−0.2, 1.2) | 0.3 (−0.4, 0.9) | 0.9 (0.3, 1.5) | 1.4 (0.7, 2.1) | 1.7 (0.6, 2.7) | |
| 36 | 1,353 | - # | 0.5 (−0.4, 1.4) | −0.1 (−0.9, 0.8) | 1.3 (0.5, 2.2) | 2.0 (1.0, 2.9) | 1.7 (0.5, 2.9) | |
| 43 | 1,315 | - | 0.5 (−0.6, 1.6) | 0.2 (−0.8, 1.2) | 1.4 (0.4, 2.4) | 2.2 (1.1, 3.3) | 1.7 (0.2, 3.2) | |
| 53 | 1,235 | - | 0.8 (−0.5, 2.2) | 0.5 (−0.9, 1.8) | 1.7 (0.4, 2.9) | 3.0 (1.6, 4.4) | 1.6 (−0.4, 3.6) | |
| 60–64 | 958 | - # | 1.1 (−0.3, 2.6) | 0.2 (−1.2, 1.6) | 1.6 (0.3, 2.8) | 3.6 (2.1, 5.1) | 3.1 (0.6, 5.7) | |
| 1958 NCDS | 23 | 4,115 | - # | 0.6 (0.1, 1.2) | 0.5 (0.0, 1.1) | 1.4 (0.9, 1.9) | 1.3 (0.8, 1.9) | 1.2 (0.6, 1.8) |
| 33 | 3,524 | - # | 0.7 (−0.2, 1.5) | 0.9 (0.0, 1.8) | 1.9 (1.1, 2.7) | 1.9 (1.0, 2.8) | 1.3 (0.3, 2.3) | |
| 42 | 3,668 | - # | 0.8 (−0.1, 1.6) | 0.8 (−0.1, 1.7) | 2.0 (1.2, 2.8) | 2.3 (1.4, 3.1) | 1.5 (0.6, 2.5) | |
| 44 | 3099 | - # | 0.6 (−0.4, 1.6) | 0.9 (−0.2, 2.0) | 1.9 (1.0, 2.9) | 2.1 (1.1, 3.2) | 1.1 (0.0, 2.3) | |
| 50 | 2,759 | - # | 0.4 (−0.6, 1.5) | 1.0 (−0.1, 2.1) | 2.0 (1.0, 3.0) | 2.2 (1.1, 3.3) | 0.7 (−0.5, 1.9) | |
| 1970 BCS | 26 | 3,545 | - | 0.6 (0.0, 1.2) | 0.4 (−0.3, 1.1) | 1.2 (0.6, 1.8) | 1.3 (0.6, 1.9) | 1.5 (0.7, 2.2) |
| 30 | 4,132 | - | 0.7 (0.0, 1.4) | 0.7 (0.0, 1.5) | 1.6 (1.0, 2.3) | 1.8 (1.0, 2.5) | 2.2 (1.4, 3.1) | |
| 34 | 3,642 | - | 0.3 (−0.4, 1.1) | 0.4 (−0.4, 1.3) | 1.3 (0.6, 2.1) | 1.4 (0.6, 2.3) | 2.7 (1.7, 3.7) | |
| 42 | 3,312 | - # | 0.3 (−0.6, 1.2) | 0.1 (−0.9, 1.2) | 1.7 (0.9, 2.6) | 1.6 (0.6, 2.6) | 2.7 (1.6, 3.9) | |
#evidence for deviation from linearity—p < 0.05 for Wald tests; BMI differences estimated using linear regression models; occupational-based social classes were assigned as follows: I (professional), II (managerial and technical), III NM (skilled nonmanual), III M (skilled manual), IV (partly-skilled) V (unskilled)