Table 3.
Means and standard deviations for levels of depressive symptoms at 14 years (short mood and feelings questionnaire [SMFQ] ≥11)a and age at menarche by socioeconomic status and maternal characteristics
| Risk factors | Depressive symptoms | Age at menarche | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample size (n) | Mean | S.D. | t-statistic, p | Sample size (n) | Mean | S.D. | t-statistic, p | |
| Major financial problems | ||||||||
| No | 2627 | 5.55 | 4.86 | 3.11, 0.002 | 3524 | 12.66 | 1.16 | −3.34, 0.001 |
| Yes | 6.51 | 5.19 | 12.45 | 1.18 | ||||
| Homeownership status | ||||||||
| Owned | 2818 | 5.57 | 4.81 | −2.79, 0.005 | 3793 | 12.67 | 1.14 | 4.30, ≤0.001 |
| Privately rented | 6.26 | 5.24 | 12.46 | 1.25 | ||||
| Mother’s educational attainment | ||||||||
| ≥High school | 2817 | 5.69 | 4.91 | −0.01, 0.997 | 3775 | 12.67 | 1.16 | 3.87, ≤0.001 |
| No qualifications | 5.69 | 4.89 | 12.50 | 1.15 | ||||
| Maternal age at menarche | ||||||||
| Normative/Late (12–15 years) | 2534 | 5.58 | 4.80 | −2.24, 0.025 | 3411 | 12.74 | 8.67 | 13.34, ≤0.001 |
| Early (8–11 years) | 6.15 | 5.30 | 12.09 | 1.14 | ||||
| Maternal depression | ||||||||
| No | 2632 | 5.45 | 4.80 | −4.51, <0.001 | 3505 | 12.66 | 1.15 | 3.02, 0.002 |
| Yes | 6.54 | 5.26 | 12.51 | 1.21 | ||||
Sample sizes vary because of differences in data availability for indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage and maternal characteristics
aHigher scores indicate higher levels of depressive symptoms