RELATION BETWEEN ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL MORBIDITY IN CHILDREN

Objective: To examine the relation between low income and child psycho social morbidity cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Design: Cross-s ectional survey with follow-up. Setting: Ontario. Participants: Childr en aged 4 to 16 years from families selected by means of stratified, c lustered and random sampling of 1981 Canada Census data. Results were based on the responses of 2503 children interviewed in 1983 and 1076 r e-interviewed in 1987. Outcome measures: Prevalence rates of psychiatr ic disorders, poor school performance and i social impairment. Results : There was a significant relation between low income and psychosocial morbidity, with a threshold at an income level of less than $10 000. Poor children 4 to 11 years of age were at greater risk-of morbidity t han poor children 12 to 16, but there were no significant age differen ces. Logistic regression revealed that low income and noneconomic fact ors (low maternal education and family dysfunction) shared significant independent influences on the prevalence of psychosocial morbidity. C onclusions: Low income is strongly associated with psychosocial morbid ity in children. Both economic and noneconomic factors showed independ ent influences on morbidity. These findings have important clinical, s cientific and policy implications.