The long shadow of socioeconomic conditions in childhood: do they affect class inequalities in mortality?

This chapter examines the combined effect on mortality risk of socioeconomic conditions in childhood and socioeconomic status in adulthood. In addition, both cohort-specific and person-specific socioeconomic conditions in childhood will be considered. The correlation between socioeconomic conditions and mortality differs between men and women. Health is, on average, poorer and mortality greater in societies with larger income inequalities. The annual change in the inflow to poor relief is linked to year of birth and is used as an alternative measure showing the socioeconomic condition for each birth cohort. Two variables are used to show macrolevel societal socioeconomic status in childhood: cohort-specific and year-specific conditions in childhood. Data tracking cohort-specific childhood mortality during the first and second year of life are taken from the Berkeley Mortality Database. The direct effects of socioeconomic conditions in childhood on mortality are small and not statistically significant.