PAST OR PRESENT - CHILDHOOD LIVING-CONDITIONS AND CURRENT SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS AS DETERMINANTS OF ADULT HEALTH

The aim was to study the associations of childhood living conditions, together with past and present socioeconomic status, with adult health among Finnish men and women. The data were derived from a nationwide interview Survey on Living Conditions collected by Statistics Finland in 1986. The sample represents the non-institutional Finnish populatio n aged 15 years or older. The number of respondents was 12,057 acid th e response rate 87%. In this study we analysed 30-year-old and older s ubjects. Two health indicators were analysed: first, limiting long-sta nding illness; and second, self-assessed health as ''below good''. Fou r different indicators of childhood living conditions were included: o ne concerning economic problems, and three concerning family related s ocial problems during childhood. Additionally, the degree of urbanisat ion of the childhood living area was examined. Past and present socioe conomic status were measured by the status of origin, i.e. the respond ent's father's and mother's education, and the status of destination, i.e. the respondent's own current education. Economic problems during childhood were associated with current health. The association of chil dhood social problems with health was somewhat weaker and less consist ent than that of economic problems. A comparison of the mutual impacts of economic and social problems, respectively, shows that economic pr oblems are stronger and more independent determinants of adult health than social problems. According to multivariate logistic regression an alysis, past and, particularly, present socioeconomic status are both important determinants of adult health. Current socioeconomic status s howed strongest associations with adult health, but living conditions during upbringing, particularly economic problems and status of origin , were also significant predictors. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd.