Authors
Timothy Martin, Anna Head, Philip McHale
Published in
Journal of public health (Oxford, England). Jul 06, 2026. Epub Jul 06, 2026.
Abstract
Childhood height is an important indicator of child health. Stunting is associated with poor health outcomes, with consistent socioeconomic inequalities seen. This study aims to generate hypotheses for causal mechanisms through which socioeconomic deprivation leads to stunting.
A multiyear cross-sectional study using National Childhood Measurement Programme data from 2013/2014 to 2022/2023 in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, and ecological exposures for hypothesised mediators. We used logistic regression models to estimate the effect of socioeconomic deprivation on stunting rates and generate hypotheses for causal pathways.
There was a significantly higher odds ratio for stunting in the most deprived quintile compared to the least deprived in children aged 4-5 years (1.60; 95% CI 1.10-2.35) and 10-11 years (2.02; 95% CI 1.28-3.25) after adjustment for confounders. In children aged 10-11 years 75.3% of this effect was attenuated when hypothesised mediators low birth weight, preterm birth, breastfeeding rates, food insecurity and healthcare access, were included; this result was not statistically significant. No attenuation was demonstrated in children aged 4-5 years.
This research shows an association between socioeconomic deprivation and higher stunting rates in Sefton, which was non-significantly attenuated after adjustment for hypothesised mediators in children aged 10-11 years.
PMID:
42406788
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Jul 2026.
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