P2-304 Childhood infectious diseases and premature adult mortality: results from the Newcastle Thousand Families Study

Abstract

Early life infections may negatively influence health in later life, but there have been few studies of the association, due to the difficulty of simultaneously obtaining data from early and later life. This study utilised unique longitudinal data from the Newcastle Thousand Families Study, a prospective cohort of 1147 individuals born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne ({UK)} in 1947, to assess the impact of various childhood infectious diseases on mortality between ages 18 and 60 years. Methods: Detailed information was collected prospectively at birth and during childhood on a number of early life factors. Study members were 'flagged' by the {UK} National Health Service Central Register when they died or emigrated. Death between ages 18 to 60 years was analysed in relation to childhood infections, adjusting for potential confounders, using Cox regression. Results : History of infection with either tuberculosis or whooping cough was independently predictive of mortality between ages 18 and 60 years [Adjusted hazard ratio, {aHR} = 2.00 (95% confidence interval, {CI:} 1.17-3.41) and 1.95 (95% {CI:} 1.21-3.14) respectively]. Of the other variables examined, adult mortality was significantly more common among men [{aHR} = 0.62 (95% {CI:} 0.39-0.97)] and among first-born children [{aHR} = 2.95 (95% {CI:} 1.52-5.73)]. The effect of whooping cough on mortality was largely attributable to a higher risk of death from cancer, particularly non-smoking related cancers. Conclusion: In a pre-vaccination cohort from northern England ({UK)}, childhood infection with either tuberculosis or whooping cough was associated with an increased risk of premature adult mortality independent of other childhood circumstances. Further studies are required to investigate this association among different populations.