1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« Our objective is to present a systematic review of the evidence on whether adverse socioeconomic circumstances in childhood confer greater risk for CVD [cardiovascular disease] and its specific subcategories. » (p. 92)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
« We systematically reviewed titles and abstracts of all individual-level studies evaluating the association between childhood socioeconomic circumstances and CVD from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Science up to September 2004 and added publications that appeared afterward. We retrieved studies that included morbidity and mortality from CVD and specific disease subtypes, including CHD, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, peripheral vascular disease, markers of atherosclerosis (carotid IMT and stenosis), and rheumatic heart disease. » (p. 92)

Types de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« The bulk of the evidence from individual-level studies confirms that those who experienced worse socioeconomic conditions in their childhood, independently of their circumstances during adult life, generally were at greater risk for developing and dying of CVD. The majority (80%) of prospective studies, the study design that can present the strongest evidence, and all cross-sectional studies found an association between poor childhood circumstances and greater risk for CHD [coronary heart disease], angina, stroke, and atherosclerosis in adulthood. Studies that measured SEP [socioeconomic position] in childhood generally showed stronger associations than those using adult recall of childhood SEP. Case–control studies gave mixed results, possibly because of problems in the selection of controls. » (p. 98)