Does household income predict health and educational outcomes in childhood better than neighbourhood deprivation?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Public health research and prevention policies often use the small area Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) at neighbourhood level to proxy individual socio-economic status because it is readily available. We investigated what household income adds to IMD in early childhood for predicting adverse health in adolescence.

Methods

Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study, we analysed IMD and self-reported equivalised household income (ages 0-5) to predict outcomes at age 17: poor academic achievement, psychological distress, poor health, smoking, and obesity. Predictions were compared using IMD quintile groups alone, household income quintile groups alone, and both together.

Results

Household income was a stronger and more consistent predictor of age 17 outc

SUBMITTER: Skarda I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11879046 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature