Childhood socioeconomic status and adult health: Comparing formative and reflective models in the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study (prospective cohort study)

Gareth Hagger-Johnson; G. David Batty; Ian J. Deary; Sophie von Stumm

doi:10.1136/jech.2010.127696

Childhood socioeconomic status and adult health: Comparing formative and reflective models in the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study (prospective cohort study)

Gareth Hagger-Johnson^*, G. David Batty, Ian J. Deary, Sophie von Stumm

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Background Health at midlife is associated with early-life socioeconomic status (SES), intelligence and education; the latter often used as a marker of SES in adulthood. SES is typically modelled as a latent construct with reflective indicators (where the construct causes the variables) but may be better operationalised as a formative trait (where the variables cause the construct). In this report, the authors explain the difference between these two approaches and evaluate reflective and formative modelling for the prediction of health outcomes. Methods The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study comprises 12150 children from the Aberdeen area of Scotland, of whom 7183 completed a follow-up questionnaire in middle age. Data were available on indicators of parental SES at birth of the participant, childhood intelligence at age 11 and education and self-rated health at midlife. Results Childhood SES predicted childhood intelligence and educational attainment in adulthood, both of which partially mediated the effects of SES on self-rated health. Both approaches produced well-fitting models (CFI>0.99, TLI>0.99 and RMSEA<0.03), detected indirect effects from parental SES to health (all ps<0.001) and accounted for similar proportions of variance in health. Conclusions In these data, there was little difference between reflective and formative models of SES in their ability to elucidate pathways from childhood SES to adult health. Formative approaches to modelling SES seem appropriate theoretically, yet reflective models were equally informative. The outcome chosen here was selfrated health, but the models are extensible to other health outcomes. Results may differ in other data sets, suggesting that it is first appropriate to compare both strategies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1024-1029
Number of pages	6
Journal	Journal of epidemiology and community health
Volume	65
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2010.127696
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2011

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10.1136/jech.2010.127696

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title = "Childhood socioeconomic status and adult health: Comparing formative and reflective models in the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study (prospective cohort study)",

abstract = "Background Health at midlife is associated with early-life socioeconomic status (SES), intelligence and education; the latter often used as a marker of SES in adulthood. SES is typically modelled as a latent construct with reflective indicators (where the construct causes the variables) but may be better operationalised as a formative trait (where the variables cause the construct). In this report, the authors explain the difference between these two approaches and evaluate reflective and formative modelling for the prediction of health outcomes. Methods The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study comprises 12150 children from the Aberdeen area of Scotland, of whom 7183 completed a follow-up questionnaire in middle age. Data were available on indicators of parental SES at birth of the participant, childhood intelligence at age 11 and education and self-rated health at midlife. Results Childhood SES predicted childhood intelligence and educational attainment in adulthood, both of which partially mediated the effects of SES on self-rated health. Both approaches produced well-fitting models (CFI>0.99, TLI>0.99 and RMSEA<0.03), detected indirect effects from parental SES to health (all ps<0.001) and accounted for similar proportions of variance in health. Conclusions In these data, there was little difference between reflective and formative models of SES in their ability to elucidate pathways from childhood SES to adult health. Formative approaches to modelling SES seem appropriate theoretically, yet reflective models were equally informative. The outcome chosen here was selfrated health, but the models are extensible to other health outcomes. Results may differ in other data sets, suggesting that it is first appropriate to compare both strategies.",

author = "Gareth Hagger-Johnson and Batty, {G. David} and Deary, {Ian J.} and {von Stumm}, Sophie",

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Childhood socioeconomic status and adult health: Comparing formative and reflective models in the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study (prospective cohort study). / Hagger-Johnson, Gareth; Batty, G. David; Deary, Ian J. et al.
In: Journal of epidemiology and community health, Vol. 65, No. 11, 01.11.2011, p. 1024-1029.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Childhood socioeconomic status and adult health

T2 - Comparing formative and reflective models in the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study (prospective cohort study)

AU - Hagger-Johnson, Gareth

AU - Batty, G. David

AU - Deary, Ian J.

AU - von Stumm, Sophie

PY - 2011/11/1

Y1 - 2011/11/1

N2 - Background Health at midlife is associated with early-life socioeconomic status (SES), intelligence and education; the latter often used as a marker of SES in adulthood. SES is typically modelled as a latent construct with reflective indicators (where the construct causes the variables) but may be better operationalised as a formative trait (where the variables cause the construct). In this report, the authors explain the difference between these two approaches and evaluate reflective and formative modelling for the prediction of health outcomes. Methods The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study comprises 12150 children from the Aberdeen area of Scotland, of whom 7183 completed a follow-up questionnaire in middle age. Data were available on indicators of parental SES at birth of the participant, childhood intelligence at age 11 and education and self-rated health at midlife. Results Childhood SES predicted childhood intelligence and educational attainment in adulthood, both of which partially mediated the effects of SES on self-rated health. Both approaches produced well-fitting models (CFI>0.99, TLI>0.99 and RMSEA<0.03), detected indirect effects from parental SES to health (all ps<0.001) and accounted for similar proportions of variance in health. Conclusions In these data, there was little difference between reflective and formative models of SES in their ability to elucidate pathways from childhood SES to adult health. Formative approaches to modelling SES seem appropriate theoretically, yet reflective models were equally informative. The outcome chosen here was selfrated health, but the models are extensible to other health outcomes. Results may differ in other data sets, suggesting that it is first appropriate to compare both strategies.

AB - Background Health at midlife is associated with early-life socioeconomic status (SES), intelligence and education; the latter often used as a marker of SES in adulthood. SES is typically modelled as a latent construct with reflective indicators (where the construct causes the variables) but may be better operationalised as a formative trait (where the variables cause the construct). In this report, the authors explain the difference between these two approaches and evaluate reflective and formative modelling for the prediction of health outcomes. Methods The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study comprises 12150 children from the Aberdeen area of Scotland, of whom 7183 completed a follow-up questionnaire in middle age. Data were available on indicators of parental SES at birth of the participant, childhood intelligence at age 11 and education and self-rated health at midlife. Results Childhood SES predicted childhood intelligence and educational attainment in adulthood, both of which partially mediated the effects of SES on self-rated health. Both approaches produced well-fitting models (CFI>0.99, TLI>0.99 and RMSEA<0.03), detected indirect effects from parental SES to health (all ps<0.001) and accounted for similar proportions of variance in health. Conclusions In these data, there was little difference between reflective and formative models of SES in their ability to elucidate pathways from childhood SES to adult health. Formative approaches to modelling SES seem appropriate theoretically, yet reflective models were equally informative. The outcome chosen here was selfrated health, but the models are extensible to other health outcomes. Results may differ in other data sets, suggesting that it is first appropriate to compare both strategies.

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SN - 0143-005X

VL - 65

SP - 1024

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JO - Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

JF - Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

IS - 11

ER -

Childhood socioeconomic status and adult health: Comparing formative and reflective models in the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Study (prospective cohort study)

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