Mean fat mass, android to gynoid ratio and lean mass levels at age 60–64 years by sex and socioeconomic position across life
| N (M/F) | Fat mass index (kg/m1.2) Mean (SD) | Android to gynoid ratio Mean (SD) | Appendicular lean mass index (kg/m2) Mean (SD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | ||
| Sex | 1558 (746/812) | 12.13 (3.62) | 16.23 (5.11) | 65.69 (15.35) | 44.74 (12.36) | 8.01 (0.95) | 6.16 (0.87) |
| p Value (t test) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||
| Socioeconomic position | |||||||
| Paternal occupational class (4 years) | |||||||
| I—Professional | 113 (55/58) | 11.6 (3.6) | 15.0 (5.0) | 59.4 (14.9) | 43.4 (12.7) | 7.9 (1.0) | 6.2 (0.8) |
| II—Intermediate | 282 (133/149) | 11.5 (3.8) | 15.8 (5.4) | 62.1 (16.8) | 41.9 (11.3) | 7.9 (1.0) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| III—Skilled (non-manual) | 334 (157/177) | 11.9 (3.4) | 15.3 (4.7) | 65.6 (15.5) | 44.3 (13.2) | 8.0 (0.9) | 6.0 (0.9) |
| III—Skilled (manual) | 406 (195/211) | 13.0 (3.8) | 16.7 (5.0) | 68.9 (14.5) | 45.8 (11.2) | 8.1 (1.0) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| IV—Partly skilled | 267 (132/135) | 12.3 (3.4) | 17.3 (5.4) | 67.6 (13.9) | 47.0 (12.3) | 8.1 (0.9) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| V—Unskilled | 75 (38/37) | 11.3 (3.6) | 17.4 (4.6) | 64.0 (15.8) | 46.7 (13.2) | 8.1 (1.1) | 6.3 (0.8) |
| p Value (trend) | 0.05 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.01 | 0.73 | |
| Maternal educational attainment (6 years) | |||||||
| Secondary and FE | 214 (99/115) | 11.8 (3.8) | 15.0 (5.2) | 61.0 (14.6) | 41.6 (12.1) | 8.0 (1.0) | 6.1 (0.9) |
| Secondary only | 184 (89/95) | 11.5 (3.2) | 15.6 (4.6) | 62.7 (15.1) | 43.6 (11.6) | 7.9 (1.0) | 6.1 (0.8) |
| Primary and FE | 223 (121/102) | 12.2 (3.9) | 16.1 (5.7) | 67.8 (16.6) | 44.0 (12.6) | 8.0 (0.9) | 6.2 (0.8) |
| Primary only | 768 (359/409) | 12.5 (3.7) | 16.8 (5.1) | 67.4 (14.9) | 45.9 (12.0) | 8.1 (0.9) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| p Value (trend) | 0.02 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.07 | 0.41 | |
| Paternal educational attainment (6 years) | |||||||
| Secondary and FE | 275 (131/144) | 12.1 (3.6) | 14.5 (4.3) | 62.5 (15.4) | 40.2 (11.0) | 7.9 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.7) |
| Secondary only | 213 (98/115) | 11.7 (3.7) | 15.9 (5.1) | 63.7 (15.1) | 43.8 (12.0) | 8.1 (1.0) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| Primary and FE | 209 (117/92) | 11.8 (3.1) | 16.1 (5.5) | 65.8 (16.1) | 43.8 (13.0) | 7.9 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.9) |
| Primary only | 681 (314/367) | 12.6 (3.9) | 17.1 (5.2) | 68.1 (15.2) | 47.0 (12.1) | 8.1 (0.9) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| p Value (trend) | 0.08 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.08 | 0.19 | |
| Own educational attainment (26 years) | |||||||
| Degree or higher | 193 (132/61) | 11.6 (3.4) | 15.3 (5.2) | 62.8 (16.3) | 42.0 (12.2) | 7.9 (0.9) | 6.3 (0.9) |
| GCE A level or equivalents | 472 (232/240) | 11.8 (3.5) | 15.7 (4.9) | 63.6 (14.6) | 44.0 (12.5) | 8.0 (1.0) | 6.1 (0.8) |
| GCE O level or equivalents | 326 (108/218) | 12.1 (3.9) | 16.2 (5.2) | 66.5 (15.2) | 45.7 (12.6) | 8.0 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.9) |
| Sub-GCE O level or equivalents | 110 (40/70) | 12.3 (3.3) | 16.5 (4.9) | 67.4 (17.2) | 45.2 (12.2) | 7.6 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.9) |
| No qualifications | 374 (192/182) | 12.9 (3.8) | 17.1 (4.9) | 68.8 (14.2) | 45.7 (12.1) | 8.2 (0.9) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| p Value (trend) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.86 | |
| Occupational class (53 years) | |||||||
| I—Professional | 200 (114/86) | 11.6 (3.2) | 14.7 (4.2) | 63.9 (16.4) | 41.3 (11.4) | 8.0 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.8) |
| II—Intermediate | 800 (376/424) | 12.2 (3.6) | 16.3 (5.3) | 65.6 (15.1) | 44.8 (12.2) | 8.0 (1.0) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| III—Skilled (non-manual) | 325 (139/186) | 12.1 (3.6) | 16.2 (4.7) | 66.0 (15.0) | 44.3 (13.4) | 8.0 (0.9) | 6.0 (0.8) |
| III—Skilled (manual) | 136 (83/53) | 12.8 (4.3) | 18.1 (6.1) | 69.0 (15.0) | 47.4 (10.9) | 8.2 (0.9) | 6.4 (0.9) |
| IV—Partly skilled | 56 (22/34) | 11.4 (3.7) | 17.7 (4.6) | 60.3 (13.5) | 50.8 (10.1) | 7.9 (1.1) | 6.3 (0.9) |
| V—Unskilled | 11 (5/6) | 12.0 (2.5) | 14.9 (4.7) | 84.6 (12.9) | 45.3 (20.2) | 8.6 (0.9) | 5.7 (1.2) |
| p Value (trend) | 0.23 | <0.001 | 0.06 | <0.001 | 0.20 | 0.73 | |
| Household income (60–64 years) | |||||||
| 1 (highest) | 525 (292/233) | 11.7 (3.2) | 15.6 (4.6) | 64.6 (15.7) | 43.8 (12.5) | 8.0 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.8) |
| 2 | 372 (172/200) | 12.0 (3.5) | 15.9 (4.7) | 65.1 (14.3) | 44.6 (12.4) | 8.1 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.9) |
| 3 | 382 (171/211) | 12.5 (3.8) | 17.0 (5.8) | 66.4 (14.6) | 45.1 (12.6) | 8.0 (1.0) | 6.2 (0.9) |
| 4 (lowest) | 202 (76/126) | 12.6 (4.2) | 17.0 (5.3) | 68.6 (17.1) | 46.4 (12.1) | 7.9 (0.9) | 6.1 (0.9) |
| p Value (trend) | 0.01 | <0.001 | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.72 | 0.51 | |
Maternal and paternal education classified as follows: (1) primary only, (2) primary and further education (FE) (no qualifications obtained), (3) secondary only (or primary and FE) and (4) secondary and FE or higher. Own education was classified using the Burnham scale:31 (1) no qualifications, (2) sub-GCE or sub-Burnham C, (3) GCE O level or Burnam C, (4) GCE A level or Burnam B and (5) degree or higher. Occupational class was that of the highest in the household and derived using the Registrar General's social classification; annual household income was categorised into four groups to aid presentation (per year: £≤6000–11 999, 12 000–20 999, 21 000–29 999, ≥30 000); analyses were restricted to those with valid measures for all body composition outcomes.