When in the lifecourse? Socioeconomic position across the lifecourse and biological health score (2024)

Educational attainment is associated with multiphysiological wear and tear. However, associations with measures of socioeconomic position (SEP) across different life-stages are not established.

Using regression models and data from 8105 participants from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society), we examined associations of lifecourse SEP with an overall biological health score (BHS). BHS is broader than usual measures of biological ‘wear and tear’ and is based on six physiological subsystems (endocrine, metabolic, cardiovascular, inflammatory/immune, liver, and kidney), with higher scores indicating worse health. Lifecourse SEP was based on respondents’ parental, first, and most recent occupations.

Associations with SEP at all life-stages demonstrated higher BHS with increasing disadvantage (e.g. slope index of inequality (SII) (95 % CI) for most recent SEP: 0.04 (0.02, 0.06)). There was little difference in the magnitude of associations for SEP measured at each life-stage. Cumulative disadvantage across the lifecourse showed a stepped association with increasing BHS (SII (95 % CI): 0.05 (0.04, 0.07)). Associations were largely driven by metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory systems.

Our results suggest that disadvantaged SEP across the lifecourse contributes cumulatively to poorer biological health, highlighting that every life-stage should be a target for public health policies and intervention.