was associated with improved birth outcomes for white but not black women.169 We do not know the extent to which this finding reflects differences in the effects of early childhood adversity across race or whether early childhood adversity among African Americans is associated with a larger concentration of other negative risk factors than the presence of childhood poverty among whites. Other research indicates that childhood SES accounts for part of the racial disparities in adult health. A recent study found that childhood SES as captured by father’s occupation, childhood health and height accounted for a part of the increased risk of first stroke for blacks compared to whites.170 This association was independent of adult SES (income, education and occupation, and wealth) and CVD risk factors. Thus, increasing evidence points to the need to capture exposure to health risks over the life course and to understand the contribution of early life SES to disparities in adult health.
