Social Class or Deprivation? Structural Factors and Children’s Limiting Longstanding Illness in the 1990s

This research shows that the economic position of the family, and especially material deprivation, is more closely associated with children’s health status than social class.

Abstract

This paper investigates inequalities in children’s reported morbidity by parental social class compared with indicators of material disadvantage, using data for children aged 0 to 16 years from the British General Household Surveys for 1991–94. Family structure, employment status and receipt of benefit are more closely associated with differentials in health for children than parental social class. Children in lone parent families living on Income Support are most likely to report chronic illness, whereas for children living with two parents the unemployment of the family head is most clearly associated with reported morbidity. These health inequalities are more pronounced in children under 10 years than children aged 10–16 years. Children living in local authority housing were significantly more likely to report chronic illness. South Asian children were less likely to have a longstanding limiting illness compared to the white population. This research shows that the economic position of the family, and especially material deprivation, is more closely associated with children’s health status than social class.