Table 6 Early‐life indicators of family structure.
| Indicator | Location, study design | Indicator of SEP measured | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family structure at age 15 years | USA, National Longitudinal Survey of Older Men73 | R | Validity:Family structure, used to distinguish families with two parents from single‐parent families, and living conditions in the parental home, such as number of siblings and crowding, may influence adult SEP, and thus health in adulthood117Relevance:Historical context and cohort effects need to be taken into account Reliability:More likely to be recalled accurately than categories such as parents' education or occupation Time frame or age within indicator question may affect responses as circumstances may change throughout early lifeDeconstruction:Not applicable |
| Family size | 1946 British Birth Cohort112 | P | |
| 1958 British Birth Cohort78 | P | ||
| Sweden, Level of Living Surveys, longitudinal79 | R | ||
| Sweden, Cross‐sectional Stockholm Female Coronary Risk Study118 | R | ||
| USA, Woodlawn Cohort Study75 | P | ||
| Number of younger siblings | USA, longitudinal National Survey of Children63 | P | |
| Marital status of parents | USA, Longitudinal National Survey of Children63 | P | |
| Mother's marital status at participant's birth | Sweden, Uppsala Birth Cohort Study116 | P | |
| Ever in lone‐parent family before participant aged 16 years | British Household Panel Survey, cross‐sectional113 | R | |
| Single parent family when participant aged 11 and 16 years | 1958 British Birth Cohort78 | P | |
| Lived with both biological parents (or not) until age 16 years | USA, Cross‐sectional National Survey of Midlife Development54 | R | |
| Parental divorce or separation during childhood | Sweden, Level of Living Surveys, longitudinal79 | R | |
| Parental divorce or separation before participant aged 26 years | 1946 British Birth Cohort112 | P | |
| Parental divorce or death before participant aged 16 years | 1958 British Birth Cohort113,127 | P | |
| Birth order | Brazil, Cross‐sectional Cianorte survey of school children64,65 | R | |
| 1946 British Birth Cohort72,112 | P | ||
| Sweden, Cross‐sectional Stockholm Female Coronary Risk Study118 | R | ||
| Sweden, Uppsala Birth Cohort Study116 | P |
P, prospectively; R, retrospectively; SEP, socioeconomic position.