Jithin Sam Varghese, Linda S. Adair, Shivani A. Patel, Sonny Agustin Bechayda, Santosh K. Bhargava, Delia B. Carba, Bernardo L. Horta, Natalia P. Lima, Reynaldo Martorell, Ana M.B. Menezes, Shane A. Norris, Linda M. Richter, Manuel Ramirez-Zea, Harshpal Singh Sachdev, Fernando C. Wehrmeister, Aryeh D. Stein
Background: Temporally-harmonized asset-based measures of wealth can be used to study the association of life-course wealth exposures in the same scale with health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The within-individual longitudinal stability of asset-based indices of wealth in LMICs is poorly understood. Methods: Using data from five birth cohorts from three continents, we developed temporally-harmonized asset indices over the life course through polychoric principal component analysis of a common set of assets collected consistently over time (18 years in Brazil to 50 years in Guatemala). For each cohort, we compared the harmonized index to cross-sectional indices created using more comprehensive asset measures using rank correlations. We evaluated the rank correlation of the harmonized index in early life and adulthood with maternal schooling and own attained schooling, respectively. Results: Temporally-harmonized asset indices developed from a consistently-collected set of assets (range: 10 in South Africa to 30 in Philippines) suggested that mean wealth improved over time for all birth cohorts. Cross-sectional indices created separately for each study wave were correlated with the harmonized index for all cohorts (Brazil: r = 0.78 to 0.96; Guatemala: r = 0.81 to 0.95; India: 0.75 to 0.93; Philippines: r = 0.92 to 0.99; South Africa: r = 0.84 to 0.96). Maternal schooling (r = 0.15 to 0.56) and attained schooling (r = 0.23 to 0.53) were positively correlated with the harmonized asset index in childhood and adulthood respectively. Conclusions: Temporally-harmonized asset indices displayed coherence with cross-sectional indices as well as construct validity with schooling. © 2021 The Authors
Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc., University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines; Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines; Founder, New Delhi Birth Cohort, New Delhi, India; Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil; SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; INCAP Research Center for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (CIIPEC), Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), Guatemala City, Guatemala; Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, New Delhi, India
