title: Relation between the socioeconomic status of the family and primary allergy prevention in infant feeding in Hajdu-Bihar County, Hungary.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between socioeconomic status and preventive care is an important issue in public health practice in Hungary. Our aim was to investigate the association between the socioeconomic status and the present practice of primary allergy prevention in infant feeding in Hajdú-Bihar County, Hungary.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was performed among 3076 infants aged 0-6 months. We studied how socioeconomic status, type of settlement, allergic background of the family and skin symptoms indicative for allergy were related to primary allergy prevention in infant feeding. Prevalence odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by multiple logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent determinants of breast feeding were age [OR corresponding to one month change 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.77], the female gender (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.06-1.46), the socioeconomic status of the family (OR comparing the worst with the best category 0.63; 95% CI 0.43-0.93), and birth weight (OR comparing <1500 g to >2500 g category 0.17; 95% CI 0.07-0.41). Among supplementary nutrient users independent determinants of the use of hydrolysed infant formulae were the socioeconomic status (OR comparing the worst with the best category 0.06; 95% CI 0.01-0.27), the type of settlement (OR comparing village with town 0.48; 95% CI 0.28-0.80), history of allergy in the family (OR 2.30; 95% CI 1.28-4.11), and skin symptoms indicative of allergy (OR 3.46; 95% CI 1.96-6.14).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socioeconomic status is related to the implementation of primary allergy prevention in infant feeding.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Child Health, Hungary. gabipall@ogyei.hu
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Páll
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szövetes
authors.forename: Hajnalka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Márton
authors.forename: Istvánné
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vokó
authors.forename: Erzsébet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szakos
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sipka
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ilyés
authors.forename: Gyula
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szegedi
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pásti
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires