Childhood conditions and education as determinants of adult height and obesity among Greenland Inuit

Abstract

Height and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other physical and mental health conditions. Their association with childhood socioeconomic position has been demonstrated in studies among European and a few third world populations. In a random sample of adult Greenland Inuit (N = 2302) we studied the association between childhood socioeconomic conditions and height as well as prevalence of obesity (BMI > or = 30) in a cross sectional design. In block recursive graphical independence models, height was associated with mother's place of birth, birth cohort, childhood residence, alcohol problems in childhood home, and education among both men and women. Obesity was associated with mother's place of birth (for men) and with alcohol problems (for women). In General Linear Models, men with an all rural background and no education beyond primary school measured on average 165.1 cm compared with 172.1 cm for men with an all urban background (P < 0.001); women measured 153.9 and 161.1 cm (P < 0.001). Rural-urban differences in prevalence of obesity were not statistically significant. The height differences were considerably larger than between educational groups in European countries and of the same order of magnitude as those reported between men from the 17th century and men from 400 BC in the European and Mediterranean region. The rural-urban gradient in height follows the socioeconomic gradient and may negatively affect cardiovascular risk among the rural Greenlanders, while their physically active lifestyle and high consumption of n-3 fatty acids may counteract this.