A1 Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä lehdessä
Association of childhood and adult socioeconomic status with adult social connection: a mediation analysis
Tekijät: Cachón-Alonso, Laura; Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Hakulinen, Christian; Pahkala, Katja; Rovio, Suvi; Raitakari, Olli T; Hutri, Nina; Komulainen, Kaisla; Elovainio, Marko
Kustantaja: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Julkaisuvuosi: 2025
Lehti: American Journal of Epidemiology
Tietokannassa oleva lehden nimi: American Journal of Epidemiology
Vuosikerta: 194
Numero: 10
Aloitussivu: 3018
Lopetussivu: 3027
ISSN: 0002-9262
eISSN: 1476-6256
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf106
Julkaisun avoimuus kirjaamishetkellä: Avoimesti saatavilla
Julkaisukanavan avoimuus : Osittain avoin julkaisukanava
Verkko-osoite: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf106
Rinnakkaistallenteen osoite: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/492149456
In this prospective cohort study, we explored associations of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) with social connection in adulthood, and to which extent these associations can be explained by SES in adulthood. We used data from the longitudinal Young Finns Study (n=1,775, 3-18 years at baseline). Childhood SES was assessed through parental income and educational attainment in 1980, and participants' own adult SES through income and educational attainment in 2007. The outcomes were three indicators of social connection measured in 2018-2020: 1) loneliness, 2) perceived social support and 3) frequency of social contact. SES indicators were analyzed separately using regression models and causal mediation analysis via marginal structural models. In the mediation analyses, low parental income was associated with higher loneliness, lower perceived social support, and less frequent social contact in adulthood while adjusting for parental and own educational attainment. The associations with loneliness and perceived social support were partially mediated by participants' income in adulthood. Conversely, the associations between parental educational attainment and social connection in adulthood were smaller, with confidence intervals including the null. These results emphasize that poor family financial conditions during childhood may have long-lasting implications for the development and maintenance of social connection throughout the lifespan.
Keywords: childhood environment; loneliness; prospective study; social contact; social support; socioeconomic status.
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Julkaisussa olevat rahoitustiedot:
Supported by the Research Council of Finland (339390). LCA is funded by the Wihuri Foundation and by the Doctoral Programme in Population Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. LPR is funded by the Gyllenberg Foundation and the Juho Vainio Foundation. CH was supported by the Research Council of Finland (Academy Research Fellowship, 354237) and the European Union (ERC, MENTALNET, 101040247). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study has been financially supported by the Research Council of Finland, with grants 322098, 286284, 134309 (Eye), 126925, 121584, 124282, 129378 (Salve), 117787 (GENDI), and 41071 (SKIDI); the Social Insurance Institution of Finland; Competitive State Research Financing of the expert-responsibility area of the Kuopio, Tampere, and Turku university hospitals (grant agreement X51001); the Juho Vainio Foundation; the Paavo Nurmi Foundation; the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research; the Finnish Cultural Foundation; the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation; Tampere Tuberculosis Foundation; the Emil Aaltonen Foundation; the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation; the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation; Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation; the Diabetes Research Foundation of the Finnish Diabetes Association; EU Horizon 2020 (grant agreement 755320, for TAXINOMISIS); the European Research Council (grant agreement 742927, for the MULTIEPIGEN project); and the Tampere University Hospital Support Foundation.
