Citation

Bosma H, Traag T, Berger-van Sijl M, van Eijk J, Otten F. Ned. Tijdschr. Geneeskd. 2007; 151(19): 1076-1082.

Vernacular Title

Intelligentie, sociaaleconomische status en ziekenhuisopnamen van

Affiliation

Universiteit Maastricht, capaciteitsgroep Zorgwetenschappen, sectie Medische Sociologie, Postbus 616, 6200 MD Maastricht. hans.bosma@zw.unimaas.nl

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Erven Bohn)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17552417

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether socio-economic differences in hospital admissions of adolescents and young adults are related to differences in intelligence. DESIGN:. Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: The data were derived from a group of 10,231 young adults and adolescents who were followed for a total of 47,212 person years with regard to their hospital admissions. Intelligence was measured in the first year of secondary school by 2 non-verbal intelligence tests for fluid intelligence. Data from hospital admissions were matched to a large-scale educational and occupational cohort. Data were analysed with Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: Intelligence was not found to be related to hospital admissions. However, a low occupational and educational level of the young adults or their parents, was strongly related to heightened risk for hospital admissions. In particular, the low socio-economic status of a respondent was associated with heightened risk for hospital admissions due to accidents (relative risk: 3.49; 95% confidence interval: 1.91-6.39). CONCLUSION: The small extent to which the socio-economic differences in hospital admissions seem to be based upon fluid intelligence, at least in adolescents and young adults, as well as the heightened risks of hospital admissions in lower socio-economic status groups and the associated high costs for health care legitimise further study of the determinants of these differences.

Language: nl