Prenatal and childhood growth and physical performance in old age—findings from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study 1934–1944

Eriksson, Johan G.; Osmond, Clive; Perälä, Mia-Maria; Salonen, Minna K.; Simonen, Mika; Pohjolainen, Pertti; Kajantie, Eero; Rantanen, Taina; Bonsdorff, Mikaela von

doi:10.1007/s11357-015-9846-1

Cited by 27 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In support for this theory of a direct effect from early to late-life as an explanation for the present findings is the evidence that prenatal growth (as assessed by birth weight and height) is a strong predictor of late-life muscle strength (Dodds et al 2012) and physical performance (Eriksson et al 2015). An alternative explanation for the associations between childhood SES and current health measures found in the present study may be the accumulation of disadvantages throughout the lifespan, which in turn influences the development of adverse health and functional outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Childhood conditions and current physical performance among non-institutionalized individuals aged 50+ in Israel

Weinstein

2016

Eur J Ageing

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Adverse socioeconomic conditions in childhood have been previously linked with high risk of various health conditions. However, the association with future physical function has been less studied. Hand grip strength and chair-rising time are objective measures of physical capability indicating current and future health outcomes. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that perceived socio-economic status in childhood is related to current measures of physical function, among Israeli participants of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe project. The study included 2300 participants aged 50 years or older (mean age 68 ± 10; 56 % women). Generalized linear regression models were used to examine the associations of childhood wealth and number of books in residence with grip strength and time to complete five rises from a chair. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationships between the early life conditions and the ability to perform the physical tests. Adjustment was made for current income or household wealth, and for demographic, anthropometric, health, and life-style measures. Being wealthy and having a large number of books at home in childhood was associated with a stronger hand grip and a better chair-rise test performance. These associations were more robust in women compared to men, and persisted after adjustment for potential covariates. In addition, childhood wealth and number of books were associated with lower risk of being unable to perform the tests. Thus, early-life programming may contribute to physical function indicators in mid- and late-life.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Childhood conditions and current physical performance among non-institutionalized individuals aged 50+ in Israel

Weinstein

2016

Eur J Ageing

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“…Hence, 1044 participants with complete data on body composition at baseline and HRQoL at both measurement points were included in the present analysis. The study design and assessments during the clinical visits have been described in detail previously [ 28 – 30 ]. All measurements were performed by trained study nurses.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body composition and changes in health-related quality of life in older age: a 10-year follow-up of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study

et al. 2020

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Purpose Most studies examining the associations between body composition and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older age have been cross-sectional and analyzed only fat or lean mass. Hence, it is poorly known whether fat and lean mass are independently associated with subsequent changes in HRQoL. We investigated whether baseline lean and fat mass are associated with changes in HRQoL over a 10-year period in older adults. Methods We studied 1044 men and women from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (age 57-70 years at baseline). Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to derive baseline fat mass index (FMI, fat mass/height 2) and lean mass index (lean mass/ height 2), dichotomized at sex-specific medians. HRQoL was assessed using RAND 36-item Health Survey at baseline and follow-up 10 years later. Results When controlled for lean mass and adjusted for potential confounders, high baseline FMI was associated with a greater decline in general health (standardized regression coefficient [β] = − 0.13, p = 0.001), physical functioning (β = − 0.11, p = 0.002), role physical (β = − 0.13, p = 0.003), vitality (β = − 0.08, p = 0.027), role emotional (β = − 0.12, p = 0.007), and physical component score (β = − 0.14, p < 0.001). High baseline FMI was also associated with low HRQoL in all physical domains at baseline (β: from − 0.38 to − 0.10). Lean mass was not strongly associated with HRQoL at baseline or change in HRQoL. Conclusion In older community-dwelling adults, higher fat mass is, independent of lean mass, associated with lower physical HRQoL and greater decline in HRQoL. Prevention of adiposity may contribute to preservation of a good quality of life in older age.

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“…The process was repeated for a clinical follow-up between 2011 and 2013. Out of 1404 invited participants, 1094 were examined and 1078 had adequate information on frailty [ 19 ]. ELS data was missing for 106 of these cohort members, and they were therefore excluded from the present analyses, resulting in a sample of 972 participants (439 men and 533 women).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early life stress and frailty in old age: the Helsinki birth cohort study

et al. 2018

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BackgroundEvidence suggests that early life stress (ELS) may extend its effect into adulthood and predispose an individual to adverse health outcomes. We investigated whether wartime parental separation, an indicator of severe ELS, would be associated with frailty in old age.MethodsOf the 972 participants belonging to the present sub-study of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, 117 (12.0%) had been evacuated abroad unaccompanied by their parents in childhood during World War II. Frailty was assessed at a mean age of 71 years according to Fried’s criteria.ResultsThirteen frail men (4 separated and 9 non-separated) and 20 frail women (2 separated and 18 non-separated) were identified. Compared to the non-separated men, men who had been separated had an increased relative risk ratio (RRR) of frailty (age-adjusted RRR 3.93, 95% CI 1.02, 15.11) that persisted after adjusting for several confounders. No associations were observed among women (RRR 0.62; 95% CI 0.13, 2.94).ConclusionsThese preliminary results suggest that ELS might extend its effects not just into adulthood but also into old age, and secondly, that men may be more vulnerable to the long-term effects of ELS.

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Prenatal and childhood growth and physical performance in old age—findings from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study 1934–1944

Cited by 27 publications

References 33 publications

Childhood conditions and current physical performance among non-institutionalized individuals aged 50+ in Israel

Childhood conditions and current physical performance among non-institutionalized individuals aged 50+ in Israel

Body composition and changes in health-related quality of life in older age: a 10-year follow-up of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study

Early life stress and frailty in old age: the Helsinki birth cohort study

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