Table 1.
Characteristics of the parents and children included in the samples at the two time points
| 9 years (n=6898) | 11 years (n=6328) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fathers | ||
| Age in years 18 weeks after birth of child, mean (SD) | 31.27 (5.4) | 31.30 (5.4) |
| Highest level of education, n (%) | ||
| O-level, CSE* or vocational | 3021 (43.8%) | 2758 (43.6%) |
| A-level† | 1482 (21.5%) | 1366 (21.6%) |
| University degree | 1048 (15.2%) | 1002 (15.8%) |
| Missing | 1347 (19.5%) | 1202 (19.0%) |
| Hours worked per week, mean (SD) | 44.83 (9.8) | 44.77 (9.9) |
| EPDS score, median (IQR) | 3 (1–6) | 3 (1–6) |
| SES‡ category, n (%) | ||
| 1—lowest | 138 (2.0%) | 122 (1.9%) |
| 2 | 499 (7.2%) | 453 (7.2%) |
| 3 | 2516 (36.5%) | 2297 (36.3%) |
| 4 | 2361 (34.2%) | 2184 (34.5%) |
| 5—highest | 875 (12.7%) | 823 (13.0%) |
| Missing | 509 (7.4%) | 449 (7.1%) |
| Mothers | ||
| Age in years at birth of child, mean (SD) | 29.30 (4.4) | 29.33 (4.4) |
| Highest level of education, n (%) | ||
| O-level, CSE or vocational | 2564 (37.2%) | 2317 (36.6%) |
| A-level | 1665 (24.1%) | 1564 (24.7%) |
| University degree | 1413 (20.5%) | 1329 (21.0%) |
| Missing | 1256 (18.2%) | 1118 (17.7%) |
| Parity, median (IQR) | 1 (0–1) | 1 (0–1) |
| EPDS score, median (IQR) | 5 (2–8) | 5 (2–8) |
| SES category, n (%) | ||
| 1—lowest | 86 (1.3%) | 79 (1.3%) |
| 2 | 443 (6.4%) | 417 (6.6%) |
| 3 | 2844 (41.2%) | 2613 (41.3%) |
| 4 | 2099 (30.4%) | 1926 (30.4%) |
| 5—highest | 441 (6.4%) | 423 (6.7%) |
| Missing | 985 (14.3%) | 870 (13.6%) |
| Children | ||
| Mean age difference in months, mean (SD) | 0.00 (5.8) | 0.00 (5.8) |
| Gender, n (%) | ||
| Boys | 3499 (50.7%) | 3170 (50.1%) |
| Girls | 3399 (49.3%) | 3158 (49.9%) |
| SDQ total difficulties score, median (IQR) | 6 (3–9) | 5 (3–9) |
*O-level and CSE were the national exams which students in England sat in their last year of compulsory school education at age 16.
†A-levels are preuniversity examinations.
‡SES is derived from the CASCOT.
CASCOT, Computer Assisted Structured Coding Tool; EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; SDQ, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SES, socioeconomic status.