Child mortality, socioeconomic position, and one-parent families: independent associations and variation by age and cause of death

Abstract

Background: Although the association between child mortality and socioeconomic status is well established, it is unclear whether child mortality differences by socioeconomic position are present at all ages. The association of one-parent families with mortality, and whether any such association is due to associated low socioeconomic position, is also not clear.

Methods: In all, 480 of 693 (69%) 0-14 year old deaths during 1991-1994 were linked to 1991 census records. Analyses were weighted to adjust for potential linkage bias.

Results: There was approximately twofold higher mortality among the lowest compared with the highest socioeconomic categories of education, income, car access, and neighbourhood deprivation. Occupational class differences were weaker. These socioeconomic differences in mortality were strongest among infants (particularly sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS] mortality), but similar across other age groups (1-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years). The socioeconomic differences were of a similar magnitude for unintentional injury, cancer, congenital, and other deaths. Multivariable analyses demonstrated persistent independent associations of education, income, car access, and neighbourhood deprivation with mortality. Rate ratios (adjusted for age and ethnicity) for one-parent families compared with two-parent or other families were 1.2 (95% CI: 1.0, 1.5) and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.2, 2.5) for all-cause and unintentional injury mortality, respectively. Further adjustment for socioeconomic factors reduced these associations to 0.8 (95% CI: 0.6, 1.2) and 1.2 (95% CI: 0.7, 2.2), respectively.

Conclusions: There does not appear to be notable variation in relative risk terms of socioeconomic differences in child mortality by age or cause of death. Any association of one-parent families with child mortality is due to associated low socioeconomic position.