How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort study

Objectives: Children growing up in poverty are less likely to achieve in school and more likely to experience mental health problems. This study examined factors in the local area that can help a child overcome the negative impact of poverty. Design: A longitudinal record linkage retrospective cohor...

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Main Authors: Amrita Bandyopadhyay, Tony Whiffen, Richard Fry, Sinead Brophy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-06-01
Series:SSM: Population Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827323000356
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author Amrita Bandyopadhyay
Tony Whiffen
Richard Fry
Sinead Brophy
author_facet Amrita Bandyopadhyay
Tony Whiffen
Richard Fry
Sinead Brophy
author_sort Amrita Bandyopadhyay
collection DOAJ
description Objectives: Children growing up in poverty are less likely to achieve in school and more likely to experience mental health problems. This study examined factors in the local area that can help a child overcome the negative impact of poverty. Design: A longitudinal record linkage retrospective cohort study. Participants: This study included 159,131 children who lived in Wales and completed their age 16 exams (Key Stage 4 (KS4)) between 2009 and 2016. Free School Meal (FSM) provision was used as an indicator of household-level deprivation. Area-level deprivation was measured using the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) 2011. An encrypted unique Anonymous Linking Field was used to link the children with their health- and educational records. Outcome measures: The outcome variable ‘Profile to Leave Poverty’ (PLP) was constructed based on successful completion of age 16 exams, no mental health condition, no substance and alcohol misuse records in routine data. Logistic regression with stepwise model selection was used to investigate the association between local area deprivation and the outcome variable. Results: 22% of children on FSM achieved PLP compared to 54.9% of non-FSM children. FSM Children from least deprived areas were significantly more likely to achieve PLP (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) - 2.20 (1.93, 2.51)) than FSM children from most deprived areas. FSM children, living in areas with higher community safety, higher relative income, higher access to services, were more likely to achieve PLP than their peers. Conclusion: The findings indicate that community-level improvements such as increasing safety, connectivity and employment might help in child's education attainment, mental health and reduce risk taking behaviours.
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spelling doaj.art-4aba95a2becb446e97cfb2153a788c6f2023-05-19T04:45:45ZengElsevierSSM: Population Health2352-82732023-06-0122101370How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort studyAmrita Bandyopadhyay0Tony Whiffen1Richard Fry2Sinead Brophy3National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK; Administrative Data Research Unit, Swansea University, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK; Corresponding author. National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK.Administrative Data Research Unit, Welsh Government, Wales, CF10CF10 3NQ, UKAdministrative Data Research Unit, Swansea University, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK; Health Data Research UK, Swansea University Medical School, Wales, SA2 8PP, UKNational Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK; Administrative Data Research Unit, Swansea University, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK; Health Data Research UK, Swansea University Medical School, Wales, SA2 8PP, UKObjectives: Children growing up in poverty are less likely to achieve in school and more likely to experience mental health problems. This study examined factors in the local area that can help a child overcome the negative impact of poverty. Design: A longitudinal record linkage retrospective cohort study. Participants: This study included 159,131 children who lived in Wales and completed their age 16 exams (Key Stage 4 (KS4)) between 2009 and 2016. Free School Meal (FSM) provision was used as an indicator of household-level deprivation. Area-level deprivation was measured using the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) 2011. An encrypted unique Anonymous Linking Field was used to link the children with their health- and educational records. Outcome measures: The outcome variable ‘Profile to Leave Poverty’ (PLP) was constructed based on successful completion of age 16 exams, no mental health condition, no substance and alcohol misuse records in routine data. Logistic regression with stepwise model selection was used to investigate the association between local area deprivation and the outcome variable. Results: 22% of children on FSM achieved PLP compared to 54.9% of non-FSM children. FSM Children from least deprived areas were significantly more likely to achieve PLP (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) - 2.20 (1.93, 2.51)) than FSM children from most deprived areas. FSM children, living in areas with higher community safety, higher relative income, higher access to services, were more likely to achieve PLP than their peers. Conclusion: The findings indicate that community-level improvements such as increasing safety, connectivity and employment might help in child's education attainment, mental health and reduce risk taking behaviours.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827323000356Local areaDeprivationChild povertyResilienceEducationRecord linkage
spellingShingle Amrita Bandyopadhyay
Tony Whiffen
Richard Fry
Sinead Brophy
How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort study
SSM: Population Health
Local area
Deprivation
Child poverty
Resilience
Education
Record linkage
title How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort study
title_full How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort study
title_fullStr How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort study
title_full_unstemmed How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort study
title_short How does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in Wales: A record linkage cohort study
title_sort how does the local area deprivation influence life chances for children in poverty in wales a record linkage cohort study
topic Local area
Deprivation
Child poverty
Resilience
Education
Record linkage
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827323000356
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