Social circumstances in childhood and cardiovascular disease mortality: prospective observational study of Glasgow University students.

Background Adverse socioeconomic circumstances in childhood have been related to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adulthood in most, but not all, studies. The findings of such studies can be diYcult to interpret given the association of childhood social circumstances with social conditions and behavioural risk factors for CVD in adulthood. Statistical adjustment for these, however, generally indicates an important additional contribution of childhood socioeconomic background. In this study we investigate the association between childhood circumstances and CVD mortality among male former students of Glasgow University, who will have experienced a relatively homogeneous and privileged adulthood social environment.