Social class in childhood and general health in adulthood: questionnaire study of contribution of psychological attributes

Objective To determine the contribution of psychological attributes (person ality characteristics and coping styles) to the association between social class in childhood and adult health among men and women. Design Partly retrospective, partly cross sectional study conducted in the framework of the Dutch GLOBE study. Subjects Sample of general population from south east Netherlands consistin g of 2174 men and women aged 25-74 years. Baseline self reported data from 1991 provided information on childhood and adult social class, psychologica l attributes, and general health. Main outcome measure Self rated poor health. Results independent of adult social class, low childhood social class was r elated to self rated poor health (odds ratio 1.67 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 2.75) for subjects whose fathers were unskilled manual workers vers us subjects whose fathers were higher grade professionals). Subjects whose fathers were manual workers generally bad more unfavourable personality pro files and more negative coping styles. External locus of control, neurotici sm, and the absence of active problem focused coping explained about half o f the association between childhood social class and self rated poor health . The findings were independent of adult social class and height Conclusions A higher prevalence of negative personality profiles and advers e coping styles in subjects who grew up in lower social classes explains pa rt of the association between social class in childhood and adult health. T his finding underlines the importance of psychological mechanisms in the ex amination of the negative effects of adverse socioeconomic conditions in ch ildhood.