Relation between the socioeconomic status of the family and primary allergy prevention in infant feeding in Hajdu-Bihar County, Hungary.
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.
Páll
Gabriella
G
National Institute of Child Health, Hungary. gabipall@ogyei.hu
Szövetes
Margit
M
Márton
Hajnalka
H
Molnár
Istvánné
I
Vokó
Zoltán
Z
Szakos
Erzsébet
E
Sipka
Sándor
S
Ilyés
István
I
Szegedi
Gyula
G
Pásti
Gabriella
G
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