Children's health and parental socioeconomic factors: a population-based survey in Finland
2011

Children's Health and Socioeconomic Factors in Finland

Sample size: 4032 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Siponen Sanna M, Ahonen Riitta S, Savolainen Piia H, Hämeen-Anttila Katri P

Primary Institution: University of Eastern Finland

Hypothesis

Are parental socioeconomic factors associated with the health of Finnish children under 12 years of age?

Conclusion

Most Finnish children under 12 years were reported to have good health, and parental socioeconomic factors were not associated with their health.

Supporting Evidence

  • 3% of parents reported their child's health status as poor.
  • 11% of children experienced psychosomatic symptoms.
  • 11% of children had long-term diseases.
  • Parental socioeconomic factors were not associated with children's health.

Takeaway

Most kids in Finland are healthy, and having rich or educated parents doesn't seem to make a difference in how healthy they are.

Methodology

A population-based survey was conducted among Finnish children under 12 years, using a questionnaire sent to parents.

Limitations

The study could not determine parental socioeconomic factors among non-respondents.

Participant Demographics

Children aged under 12 years, with a response rate of 67% from parents, primarily mothers.

Statistical Information

P-Value

≤0.05

Confidence Interval

95%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-11-457

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