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Associations of childhood socioeconomic position and health with trajectories of grip strength from middle to older ages in populations from China and England

Chisala, Mphatso; Hardy, Rebecca; Cooper, Rachel; Li, Leah; (2025) Associations of childhood socioeconomic position and health with trajectories of grip strength from middle to older ages in populations from China and England. Maturitas , 191 , Article 108154. 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108154. Green open access

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Abstract

Background: We investigated associations of childhood socioeconomic position and health with trajectories of grip strength from middle to older ages in two distinct populations. // Methods: We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, n = 16,701) and English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, n = 12,695). Hand grip strength was measured at three timepoints in CHARLS (2011–2015) and four in ELSA (2001−2020). Random-effects growth models were applied to assess associations between each childhood factor and age trajectories of grip strength. // Findings: Lower parental education was associated with weaker grip strength, by 0·36 kg(95 % CI:0·17,0·56) for participants of illiterate (vs literate) parents in CHARLS and 1·88 kg(0·43,3·33) for participants of parents without education (vs ≥ high school) in ELSA, after adjusting for parental occupation and own adult socioeconomic position. Low parental occupation was associated with weaker grip strength, although the difference diminished after adjustment for adult socioeconomic position. Financial hardship was associated with weaker grip strength only in CHARLS, by 0·19 kg(0·01,0·38) after adjustment. Self-rated poor childhood health and school absenteeism were associated with weaker grip strength (both studies). Being confined to bed and hospitalised for more than a month due to health were associated with weaker grip strength only in CHARLS. Each additional childhood illness (only reported in ELSA) was associated with 0·52 kg(0·28,0·81) lower mean grip strength. Reported poor childhood health (CHARLS), low parental education and school absenteeism (ELSA) were associated with grip strength decline. // Interpretation: Lower socioeconomic position and poor health in childhood were associated with weaker grip strength in later life in both Chinese and English populations. Addressing socioeconomic disparities and promoting health of children may enhance life-course physical capacity, promote healthy ageing and reduce age-related adversities.

Type: Article
Title: Associations of childhood socioeconomic position and health with trajectories of grip strength from middle to older ages in populations from China and England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108154
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108154
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Childhood socioeconomic position; Childhood health; Grip strength; Trajectories; Decline; older age adults; England; China
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10200349
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