Understanding pathways to inequalities in child mental health: a counterfactual mediation analysis in two national birth cohorts in the UK and Denmark.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We assessed social inequalities in child mental health problems (MHPs) and how they are mediated by perinatal factors, childhood illness and maternal mental health in two national birth cohorts.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study SETTING: We used data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study and the Danish National Birth Cohort.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We applied causal mediation analysis to longitudinal cohort data. Socioeconomic conditions (SECs) at birth were measured by maternal education. Our outcome was child MHPs measured by the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire at age 11. We estimated natural direct, indirect and total effects (TEs) of SECs on MHPs. We calculated the proportion mediated (PM) via three blocks of mediators-perinatal factor

SUBMITTER: Lai ET 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7552869 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature