TY - JOUR
T1 - Association Between Birthweight and Cognitive Function in Middle Age
T2 - The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
AU - Costa, Antonio José Leal
AU - Kale, Pauline Lorena
AU - Luiz, Ronir Raggio
AU - De Moraes, Suzana Alves
AU - Mosley, Thomas H.
AU - Szklo, Moyses
N1 - Funding Information:
The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study is carried out as a collaborative study supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute contracts N01-HC-55015, N01-HC-55016, N01-HC-55018, N01-HC-55019, N01-HC-55020, N01-HC-55021, and N01-HC-55022 . The authors thank the staff and participants of the ARIC study for their important contributions.
PY - 2011/11
Y1 - 2011/11
N2 - Purpose: We aimed to examine the relationship of birthweight to cognitive performance in middle aged participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC). Methods: Cognitive function, assessed by means of three neuropsychological tests-the Delayed Word Recall Test (DWR), the Digit Symbol Subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (DSS/WAIS-R), and the Word Fluency (WF) Test, was evaluated in relation to birthweight, as recalled through standardized interviews, by the use of data from the second and fourth follow-up visits of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study cohort (1990-1992 and 1996-1998, respectively). Overall, 6785 participants satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Results: After adjusting for adult sociodemographic factors, childhood socioeconomic environment and parental risk factors, and adult anthropometric, health status-related. and behavioral variables, we observed linear trends for the relationship of birthweight to WF scores, although the trend was statistically significant only for those reporting exact birthweights (p for trend = .004). For the other cognitive test results, results were either null or inconsistent with the a priori hypotheses. Conclusions: Except for WF in those reporting exact birthweights, our study does not support the notion that birthweight influences cognitive function in adults.
AB - Purpose: We aimed to examine the relationship of birthweight to cognitive performance in middle aged participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC). Methods: Cognitive function, assessed by means of three neuropsychological tests-the Delayed Word Recall Test (DWR), the Digit Symbol Subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (DSS/WAIS-R), and the Word Fluency (WF) Test, was evaluated in relation to birthweight, as recalled through standardized interviews, by the use of data from the second and fourth follow-up visits of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study cohort (1990-1992 and 1996-1998, respectively). Overall, 6785 participants satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Results: After adjusting for adult sociodemographic factors, childhood socioeconomic environment and parental risk factors, and adult anthropometric, health status-related. and behavioral variables, we observed linear trends for the relationship of birthweight to WF scores, although the trend was statistically significant only for those reporting exact birthweights (p for trend = .004). For the other cognitive test results, results were either null or inconsistent with the a priori hypotheses. Conclusions: Except for WF in those reporting exact birthweights, our study does not support the notion that birthweight influences cognitive function in adults.
KW - Birthweight
KW - Cognition Disorders
KW - Cohort Studies
KW - Fetal Programming
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053564472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80053564472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.06.004
DO - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.06.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 21784656
AN - SCOPUS:80053564472
SN - 1047-2797
VL - 21
SP - 851
EP - 856
JO - Annals of epidemiology
JF - Annals of epidemiology
IS - 11
ER -