Inter-mediating risk factors in the relation between socioeconomic status and 25-year mortality (the Zutphen Study).

In the Zutphen Study data were collected on occupation, smoking habits, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, height and weight of 856 men who were 40-59 years old in 1960. Between 1960 and 1985 detailed information was collected on mortality. The effect of socioeconomic status as indicated by occupation on 25-year mortality was studied in relation to cigarette smoking, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol and Body Mass Index. It was found that socioeconomic status was an important determinant of mortality only in the men who were 40-49 years old in 1960. The risk of all-cause mortality among small business owners and manual workers was more than twice as high as that of men in the highest social class. After adjustment for the influence of cigarette smoking and systolic blood pressure these relationships remained. It can be concluded that socioeconomic status was an independent risk factor for long-term all-cause mortality, in men aged 40-49.

"John Henryism" and blood pressure in a Dutch population.

In a stratified, random sample of 100 men and 100 women, aged 20-59 years, residing in Zutphen, the Netherlands, the hypothesis was tested that high scores on "John Henryism," a strong behavioral predisposition to cope actively with psychosocial environmental stressors, would be associated with higher blood pressure, especially among persons of lower education. In univariate analyses higher scores on John Henryism were strongly associated with higher blood pressures in men. Among women there was only an association of John Henryism and systolic blood pressure, but this association was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders such as age, alcohol consumption, physical activity, Quetelet Index, and education. Among men, however, the association between John Henryism and systolic blood pressure remained statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders. The association between John Henryism and blood pressure was more pronounced for men of low educational background.

Determinants of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human milk.

In a longitudinal pilot study on the course of the PCB concentration in human milk during six months of lactation, some important PCB determinants could be studied in 23 women and their infants. PCB values were within the range of those found in the literature. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to investigate the association of the mean PCB concentration over the first half year of lactation with maternal parameters, such as age, height, weight, previous lactation period, education, occupation, residence, smoking, drinking and dietary habits as well as the infant parameters gestational age, birthweight and weight gain in the first six months of life. Since the PCB concentration on fat basis and the fat content of the milk were strongly inversely related, statistical analyses were carried out both on fat and on milk basis. In univariate analyses the PCB concentration on fat basis was most strongly associated with pre- versus post-pregnancy weight gain, age and occupation. After multiple regression analysis PCB concentration on fat basis remained significantly associated with weight gain changes and remained borderline (p less than 0.10) significantly related with occupation. The pre-pregnancy Quetelet Index of the mother (height/weight) and the estimated PCB content of the diet (primarily fish) were strongly correlated with the PCB concentration on milk basis. Only the Quetelet Index remained significantly related after multiple regression analysis.