title: Have health inequalities changed during childhood in the New Labour generation? Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.
abstract: To examine how population-level socioeconomic health inequalities developed during childhood, for children born at the turn of the 21st century and who grew up with major initiatives to tackle health inequalities (under the New Labour Government).
  
  
  
  The UK.
  
  
  
  Singleton children in the Millennium Cohort Study at ages 3 (n=15 381), 5 (n=15 041), 7 (n=13 681) and 11 (n=13 112) years.
  
  
  
  Relative (prevalence ratios (PR)) and absolute health inequalities (prevalence differences (PD)) were estimated in longitudinal models by socioeconomic circumstances (SEC; using highest maternal academic attainment, ranging from 'no academic qualifications' to 'degree' (baseline)). Three health outcomes were examined: overweight (including obesity), limiting long-standing illness (LLSI), and socio-emotional difficulties (SED).
  
  
  
  Relative and absolute inequalities in overweight, across the social gradient, emerged by age 5 and increased with age. By age 11, children with mothers who had no academic qualifications were considerably more likely to be overweight as compared with those with degree-educated mothers (PR=1.6 (95% CI 1.4 to 1.8), PD=12.9% (9.1% to 16.8%)). For LLSI, inequalities emerged by age 7 and remained at 11, but only for children whose mothers had no academic qualifications (PR=1.7 (1.3 to 2.3), PD=4.8% (2% to 7.5%)). Inequalities in SED (observed across the social gradient and at all ages) declined between 3 and 11, although remained large at 11 (eg, PR=2.4 (1.9 to 2.9), PD=13.4% (10.2% to 16.7%) comparing children whose mothers had no academic qualifications with those of degree-educated mothers).
  
  
  
  Although health inequalities have been well documented in cross-sectional and trend data in the UK, it is less clear how they develop during childhood. We found that relative and absolute health inequalities persisted, and in some cases widened, for a cohort of children born at the turn of the century. Further research examining and comparing the pathways through which SECs influence health may further our understanding of how inequalities could be prevented in future generations of children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Emeline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rougeaux
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: CHILD HEALTH; COHORT; INEQUALITIES; LIFECOURSE EPIDEMIOLOGY; POLICY