Height, body mass index, and socioeconomic status: mendelian randomisation study in UK Biobank.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether height and body mass index (BMI) have a causal role in five measures of socioeconomic status.

Design

Mendelian randomisation study to test for causal effects of differences in stature and BMI on five measures of socioeconomic status. Mendelian randomisation exploits the fact that genotypes are randomly assigned at conception and thus not confounded by non-genetic factors.

Setting

UK Biobank.

Participants

119,669 men and women of British ancestry, aged between 37 and 73 years.

Main outcome measures

Age completed full time education, degree level education, job class, annual household income, and Townsend deprivation index.

Results

In the UK Biobank study, shorter stature and higher BMI were observationally associated

SUBMITTER: Tyrrell J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4783516 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature