Childhood Socioeconomic Position and Blood Pressure Dipping in Early Adulthood: a Longitudinal Study

The experience of low socioeconomic position in childhood may increase risk for adult cardiovascular disease above and beyond the effects of current socioeconomic position. One limitation of most previous research is that childhood socioeconomic position was assessed retrospectively. Measures of ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability were obtained from 110 young men (22 years) who were enrolled in a long-term study of child development at age 6. Men who had lower childhood socioeconomic position had smaller decreases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) during sleep independent of current education, daytime SBP, and body mass index (BMI). They also displayed smaller decreases in low-frequency heart rate variability during sleep. Twenty-four-hour SBP was negatively associated with childhood socioeconomic position independent of current education and BMI. While the mechanisms are unclear, childhood socioeconomic position may influence blood pressure in early adulthood independent of current life circumstances.