The relationship of household income to a range of health measures in three age cohorts from the West of Scotland

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the relationshipbetween household income and measures of health at differentpoints in the life course. Method: Analysis of second-wave datacollected in 1990–1991 in a longitudinal study of threeage cohorts (15, 35 and 55 years in 1987–1988) in theWest of Scotland was performed. The subjects were 851 18 yearolds, 801 39 year olds and 761 58 year olds on whom data onIncome and a range of health measures were available (92% ofthose interviewed in 1990–1991). Results: Blood pressurewas not significantly related to household income. Height, weight,waist:hip ratio, body mass index, pulse rate, long-standingillness and limiting long-standing illness showed linear associationswith household income and FEV₁/height², number of recent malaisesymptoms reported, number of checklist of 22 recent symptomsreported, GHQ scores and self-assessed health had curvillnearrelationships with household Income. There were interactionsbetween Income and sex for weight, waist:hip ratio, BMI andpulse rate and interactions between income and age for malaise,symptom checklist and self-assessed health. A threshold modelof the relationship between income and health was not supported.Conclusion: The relationship of income to health varies notonly according to the health measure chosen but by age and gender.