Table 1 Life course study designs: hypotheses tested and typical study questions posed
Life course study design | Typical chronological analysis set-up used in study design | Typical study question |
|---|---|---|
Early SES → Outcome | Early-life SES variable(s) used to predict CVD (e.g., CHD, stroke). Adjusted for later-life events, behaviors, risk factor levels to determine "direct" effect of early life SES. | Is there a significant independent effect of early-life (childhood) SES on the adult risk of CVD after adjusting for later-life SES and risk factors? |
Early SES → Risk Factor | Early-life SES variable(s) used to predict adult CVD risk factors levels. | How does early-life SES affect later-life levels of behavioral and physiological CVD risk factors? |
Social Trajectory | Inter- or intragenerational movement from one SES level to another (i.e., Low SES to High SES) used to predict adult CVD risk factors levels or CVD outcomes. | How does social mobility from one point to another during the life course affect the risk of CVD? |
Cumulative SES | A summary variable indicating number of negative SES events/environments over the life course used to predict adult CVD risk factors levels or CVD outcomes. | How does the accumulated number of negative SES-related exposures across the life course influence the risk of CVD? |