Table 2

Characteristics from Child Health surveillance records of infants linked to health visitors

CHS Visit
Characteristics
Records linked to one HV/GP pair (n1 = 5401)
Questionnaire returned (n2 = 3294)
Dataset analysed (n3 = 2145)
p (*)


Mother's age – years
(mean)
28.4
28.6
28.8
0.04a

Mother employed
(%)
56.2
58.2
61.4
<0.001b

Mother smoker
(%)
33.9
34.3
33.7
NSb

Father's age – years
(mean)
30.9
31.0
31.0
NSa

Father employed
(%)
82.0
82.9
83.8
NSb

Father smoker
(%)
43.0
41.7
42.4
NSb

DEPCAT
(mean)
5.0
4.9
4.9
0.04a







1
Age – days
(mean)
13.2
13.1
13.2
NSa

Any breastfeeding
(%)
37.8
38.9
38.9
NSb

Only breastfeeding
(%)
33.5
34.7
35.2
NSb







2
Age – days
(mean)
50.3
50.3
50.3
NSa

Any breastfeeding
(%)
31.4
32.0
32.0
NSb

Only breastfeeding
(%)
23.1
23.5
24.1
NSb







3
Age – days
(mean)
254
253
252
NSa

Ever breastfed
(%)
45.7
46.7
45.8
NSb

Breastfeeding now
(%)
20.2
20.4
20.6
NSb

Age stopped – weeks
(mean)
3.4
3.5
3.6
NSa

* Difference between column n1 and column n3

a t-test for significance of difference of means

b Chi-squared test for significance of difference in proportions

DEPCAT measures material deprivation using small area census data which correlate closely with morbidity and mortality data [11].

DEPCAT 1 = most affluent postcode sectors, DEPCAT 7 = most deprived postcode sectors.

CHS is Child Health Surveillance Programme which includes standard visits to all infants throughout the UK [20].

Tappin et al. International Breastfeeding Journal 2006 1:11   doi:10.1186/1746-4358-1-11