title: The influence of parental education on child mental health in Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the association between parental education and offspring's mental health in a nationally representative Spanish sample, and assess the contribution of other socioeconomic factors to the association.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a secondary analysis of data on 4- to 15-year-olds participating in the 2006 Spanish National Health Survey. Mental health was assessed using the parent-reported Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire. Parents' respective educational levels were summarized in a single variable. Univariate and multivariate analyses, controlling for family-, child- and parent-related characteristics, were used to study the association.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final sample comprised 5,635 children. A strong association between parental education and parent-reported child mental health was observed among 4- to 11-year-olds, with odds ratios (ORs) increasing as parental educational level decreased. Where both parents had a sub-university level, maternal education showed a stronger association than did paternal education. Following adjustment for covariates, parental education continued to be the strongest risk factor for parent-reported child mental health problems, OR = 3.7 (95% CI 2.4-5.8) for the lowest educational level, but no association was found among 12- to 15-year-olds. Male sex, immigrant status, activity limitation, parent's poor mental health, low social support, poor family function, single-parent families, low family income and social class were associated with parent-reported child mental health problems in both age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that there is a strong association between parental education and parent-reported child mental health, and that this is indeed stronger than that for income and social class. Among adolescents, however, the effect of parental education would appear to be outweighed by other factors.
authors.affiliation: Field Epidemiology Training Program, National Centre for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Avenida Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain. michela_sonego@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sonego
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Llácer
authors.forename: Iñaki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Galán
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simón
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D019727:Proxy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires