Hypertension showed a similar prevalence in all groups, but was lower in women in non-manual classes.
More white children had parents with non-manual occupations.
"The difficulties of a 40-year-old man, used to manual work, obtaining employment in West Wales in non-manual work should not be underestimated."
Smoking was more common among those who were in a manual class compared with a non-manual class.
The variation amongst women is less, with over half of working women in all ethnic groups being in intermediate or junior non-manual work.
Another 24% came from homes with at least one parent in professional or managerial occupations and 15% had a parent in routine non-manual jobs, such as office work.
University lecturers' pay has fallen 40 percent behind the average for non-manual occupations over the last 20 years.
In 1983, only 5 percent of non-manual workers were unemployed.
In other words, independents were neither more nor less likely than the affiliated to be childless, currently employed, or working in a non-manual occupation.