Table 1.
Characteristics of the complete case study population by level of maternal education at birth of child (N=6509)
| Degree plus | Diploma | A levels | GCSE A–C | GCSE D–G | None | Total | P value | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | ||
| Adolescents socioemotional behavioural problems at age 14 | 3.1 | 7.0 | 5.9 | 9.7 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 8.9 | <0.001 |
| Child’s sex | 0.701 | |||||||
| Male | 50.2 | 51.2 | 46.2 | 50.2 | 48.3 | 47.9 | 49.6 | |
| Maternal age at MCS birth | <0.001 | |||||||
| 14–24 years | 26.5 | 41.5 | 47.5 | 52.6 | 71.4 | 61.3 | 47 | |
| Maternal ethnicity | <0.001 | |||||||
| Mixed | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | |
| Indian | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 1.4 | |
| Pakistani | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 4.3 | 1.6 | |
| Bangladeshi | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | |
| Black | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.2 | |
| Other | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | |
| Smoking in pregnancy | <0.001 | |||||||
| Yes | 3.4 | 9.9 | 11.1 | 20.9 | 33.7 | 46.3 | 17.7 | |
| Alcohol consumption in pregnancy | <0.001 | |||||||
| Any unit per week | 65.3 | 51.6 | 46 | 40.3 | 30.1 | 26.3 | 46.1 | |
| Gestational age at birth | 0.007 | |||||||
| Preterm | 4.6 | 5.8 | 3.4 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 5.4 | |
| Child’s birth weight | <0.001 | |||||||
| Low weight | 3.6 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 6.4 | 8.9 | 5.3 | |
| Breast feeding at least 4 months | <0.001 | |||||||
| No | 35.7 | 59.7 | 58.1 | 73.1 | 82.1 | 84.2 | 62.8 | |
| Cognitive disability at age 3 | <0.001 | |||||||
| Yes | 1.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 4 | 5.7 | 11.1 | 3.8 | |
| School readiness at age 3 | <0.001 | |||||||
| Very delayed or delayed | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 8.6 | 14.6 | 20.3 | 7.9 | |
| Child’s long-term disabilities or illness at age 3 | 0.063 | |||||||
| Yes | 14.3 | 14.8 | 11.3 | 15.4 | 16.3 | 19.4 | 15 | |
| Maternal mental health problems | <0.001 | |||||||
| Yes | 10.9 | 12.7 | 13.5 | 18.4 | 18.4 | 29.4 | 16.3 | |
| Parenting style | <0.001 | |||||||
| Negligent or harsh parenting style | 40.1 | 43.7 | 45.4 | 52.1 | 58 | 62.6 | 49 | |
| Child–parents conflict relationship | 0.001 | |||||||
| High conflicts | 52.5 | 52.5 | 52.2 | 52.3 | 54.5 | 63.5 | 53.5 | |
| Lone parenthood | <0.001 | |||||||
| Yes | 1.7 | 4.4 | 8 | 12.5 | 16.3 | 23.8 | 9.8 | |
| Child’s time spent with friends | 0.027 | |||||||
| Not at all | 0.6 | 0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | |
| Being bullied | <0.001 | |||||||
| Some true or certainly true | 4.3 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 10.5 | 13.4 | 6.5 | |
| Fights or bullies’ other peers | <0.001 | |||||||
| Some true or certainly true | 9.3 | 10.7 | 11.6 | 14.4 | 21.6 | 30.4 | 15.9 | |
| Neighbourhood conditions | <0.001 | |||||||
| Fairly common or very common neighbourhood problems | 50 | 55.9 | 56.3 | 60.2 | 70.8 | 72.6 | 58.9 | |
| Neighbourhood safety | <0.001 | |||||||
| Fairly safe | 5.1 | 6.7 | 9.5 | 14.5 | 18.1 | 23.6 | 13 |
Reference categories were omitted. Full table annexed in online supplementary material S6.
MCS, Millennium Cohort Study.