@misc{BlumeSchienkiewitzWollgastetal., author = {Blume, Miriam and Schienkiewitz, Anja and Wollgast, Lina and Hoffmann, Stephanie and Sander, Lydia and Spallek, Jacob and Herr, Raphael and Moor, Irene and Pischke, Claudia R. and Iashchenko, Iryna and H{\"o}vener, Claudia and Rattay, Petra}, title = {Association between socioeconomic position of the family and adolescent obesity in Germany - analysis of the mediating Role of familial determinants}, series = {Journal of Obesity}, volume = {2024}, journal = {Journal of Obesity}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, issn = {2090-0708}, doi = {10.1155/2024/7903972}, pages = {9}, abstract = {Background. Obesity's negative impact on young people's health has long been known. The family and its socioeconomic position (SEP) are key determinants in adolescent obesity. However, understanding which familial determinants explain the association remains limited. Method. The analyses are based on data from the "German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents" (KiGGS) (1,384 females and 1,332 males aged 11 to 17 years). Logistic regression models explored how familial determinants (family stress, family cohesion, parental smoking, parental sporting activity, and parental overweight) mediated the association between family SEP (parental education, occupational status, and household income) and adolescent obesity. Results. Significant total effects for the associations between family SEP in childhood and adolescent obesity were found. Splitting the total effect of the family SEP on obesity into direct and indirect effects, all direct effects turned out to be significant. However, all associations involved also indirect effects of familial determinants, except for household income for female adolescents. Parental smoking and overweight were the most relevant mediators for males and females. For male adolescents, parental sporting activity additionally mediated the association between SEP and obesity. Conclusion. A low SEP in childhood was associated with adolescent obesity. Parental health and health behaviors partly explained the association. For increasing health equality in adolescent health, the consideration of parental health behavior in the planning and implementation of health promotion programs seem to be important.}, language = {en} } @misc{BlumeRattayHoffmannetal., author = {Blume, Miriam and Rattay, Petra and Hoffmann, Stephanie and Spallek, Jacob and Sander, Lydia and Herr, Raphael and Moor, Irene and Pischke, Claudia R. and Iashchenko, Iryna and H{\"o}vener, Claudia}, title = {Zusammenhang zwischen der sozio{\"o}konomischen Position der Familie und Adipositas bei Jugendlichen in Deutschland - welche Rolle hat die Familie?}, series = {Gesundheitswesen}, volume = {84}, journal = {Gesundheitswesen}, number = {08/09}, doi = {10.1055/s-0042-1753866}, pages = {826}, abstract = {Einleitung Die gesundheitlichen Folgen von Adipositas f{\"u}r junge Menschen k{\"o}nnen schwerwiegend sein. Bei der Entwicklung verschiedener Gesundheitsoutcomes wie Adipositas spielt f{\"u}r junge Menschen die Familie als auch ihre sozio{\"o}konomische Position (SEP) eine große Rolle. In dieser Analyse wird untersucht, welche famili{\"a}re Determinanten den Zusammenhang zwischen SEP der Familie und Adipositas bei Jugendlichen erkl{\"a}ren. Methoden Die vorliegende Analyse wurde mit Daten der "Studie zur Gesundheit von Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland" (KiGGS) (Basiserhebung, Welle 1 und 2) durchgef{\"u}hrt (1301 weibliche und 1232 m{\"a}nnliche 11- bis 17-J{\"a}hrige). Mittels logistischer Regressionsmodelle (KHB-Methode) wurden f{\"u}r den Zusammenhang zwischen der SEP der Familie (Einkommen, berufliche Stellung, Bildung, SES-Index) und Adipositas (Ja/Nein) bei Jugendlichen die mediierenden Effekte von famili{\"a}ren Determinanten (elterliches Rauchen, elterliche sportliche Aktivit{\"a}ten, elterliches {\"U}bergewicht, famili{\"a}rer Stress und famili{\"a}rer Zusammenhalt) analysiert. Ergebnisse Die Pr{\"a}valenz von Adipositas betrug 7,9 \% bei den weiblichen und 8,4 \% bei den m{\"a}nnlichen Jugendlichen. Es zeigen sich signifikante Zusammenh{\"a}nge zwischen Adipositas und SEP zu Ungunsten von jenen mit niedriger sozio{\"o}konomischer Position. Famili{\"a}re Determinanten erkl{\"a}ren teilweise oder vollst{\"a}ndig den Zusammenhang zwischen SEP und Adipositas bei Jugendlichen. Es wurden geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede im Ausmaß der Mediation der Familie gefunden. Bei Jungen erkl{\"a}ren famili{\"a}re Determinanten vollst{\"a}ndig den Zusammenhang zwischen Adipositas und Einkommen sowie zwischen Adipositas und der beruflichen Stellung der Eltern. Bei m{\"a}nnlichen Jugendlichen l{\"a}sst sich der indirekte Effekt abh{\"a}ngig von der jeweiligen SEP-Variable zu 20,8 - 27,9 \% auf das elterliche Rauchen, zu 14,8 - 26,3 \% auf die elterliche sportliche Aktivit{\"a}t und zu 42,6 - 63,6 \% auf das elterliche {\"U}bergewicht zur{\"u}ckf{\"u}hren. Bei M{\"a}dchen wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen der SEP und Adipositas teilweise durch famili{\"a}re Determinanten erkl{\"a}rt. Bei weiblichen Jugendlichen l{\"a}sst sich der indirekte Effekt abh{\"a}ngig von der jeweiligen SEP-Variable zu 26,0 - 52,2 \% auf das elterliche Rauchen und zu 41,6 - 67,6 \% auf das elterliche {\"U}bergewicht zur{\"u}ckf{\"u}hren. Schlussfolgerung Die Adipositas-Pr{\"a}valenz von Jugendlichen variiert nach dem SEP. Famili{\"a}re Determinanten sind wichtige mediierende Faktoren f{\"u}r gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten bei Adipositas von Jugendlichen. Es zeigt sich, dass sich Unterschiede in der Adipositas nach SEP insbesondere durch das elterliche Gesundheitsverhalten (v.a. elterliches Rauchen, elterliches {\"U}bergewicht und elterliche sportliche Aktivit{\"a}t) erkl{\"a}ren lassen. Die Ber{\"u}cksichtigung und Einbindung der Familie bei der Planung und Umsetzung von Gesundheitsf{\"o}rderungs- und Pr{\"a}ventionsprogrammen f{\"u}r gesundheitliche Chancengleichheit bei Jugendlichen ist essentiell.}, language = {de} } @misc{ReuterPischkeRigoetal., author = {Reuter, Marvin and Pischke, Claudia R. and Rigo, Mariann and Diehl, Katharina and Spallek, Jacob and Richter, Matthias and H{\"o}vener, Claudia and Dragano, Nico}, title = {Health inequalities among young workers: the mediating role of working conditions and company characteristics}, series = {International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health}, volume = {96}, journal = {International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health}, number = {10}, issn = {1432-1246}, doi = {10.1007/s00420-023-02010-6}, pages = {1313 -- 1324}, abstract = {Objective Few studies have investigated health inequalities among young workers. The objectives of this study are to assess the extent of health inequalities in a sample of job starters and to explore the contribution of job demands and organisational factors. Methods We analyze data from the BIBB/BAuA Youth Employment Survey 2012. The cross-sectional survey includes a representative sample of 3214 German employees, apprentices, and trainees aged 15-24 years. Individuals were grouped by their years of schooling into low (< 12 years) and high levels of education (≥ 12 years). Regression analysis estimated the link between education and four health outcomes: self-rated health, number of health events, musculoskeletal symptoms, and mental health problems over the last 12 months. Counterfactual mediation analysis tested for indirect effects of education via working conditions (i.e., physical and psychosocial job demands) and company characteristics (i.e., company size, health prevention measures, financial situation, downsizing). All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, nationality, region, working hours, job tenure, employment relationship, and economic sector. Results Highly educated workers reported better self-rated health (b = 0.24, 95\% CI 0.18-0.31) and lower numbers of health events (Rate Ratio (RR) = 0.74, 95\% CI 0.67-0.82), musculoskeletal symptoms (RR = 0.73, 95\% CI 0.66-0.80) and mental health problems (RR = 0.84, 95\% CI 0.76-0.93). Total job demands explained between 21.6\% and 87.2\% of the educational differences (depending on health outcome). Unfavourable company characteristics were associated with worse health, but showed no or only small mediation effects. Conclusions Health inequalities are already present at the early working career due to socio-economically stratified working hazards. To enhance prevention measures that aim at reducing inequalities in workplace health, we propose shifting attention towards earlier stages of life.}, language = {en} } @misc{HoffmannSanderRattayetal., author = {Hoffmann, Stephanie and Sander, Lydia and Rattay, Petra and Blume, Miriam and H{\"o}vener, Claudia and Schneider, Sven and Richter, Matthias and Pischke, Claudia R. and Sch{\"u}ttig, Wiebke and De Bock, Freia and Spallek, Jacob}, title = {Do family characteristics contribute to a socioeconomic gradient in overweight in early childhood? - Single mediation analyses of data from German preschool children}, series = {Preventive Medicine Reports}, volume = {33}, journal = {Preventive Medicine Reports}, issn = {2211-3355}, doi = {10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102178}, abstract = {Children's overweight is strongly associated with family socioeconomic position (SEP) and family characteristics (FC). There is limited research on the extent to which FC account for a socioeconomic gradient in childhood overweight. This study examined whether FC explain SEP differences in the prevalence of overweight. The study used baseline data of preschool-aged children from the German 'PReschool INtervention Study'. The sample (n = 872, 48\% girls) was recruited at kindergartens in Baden-W{\"u}rttemberg, Germany. Data included children's measured weight status and parents' reports on socioeconomic indicators (e.g., school education, vocational education, income) and FC. Variables represent main determinants of overweight (nutrition: sweets consumption in front of TV, soft drink consumption, regular breakfast, child sets table; physical activity: outdoor sports; parental role model). In single mediation analyses indirect effects of SEP on overweight were analysed (OR[95\%CI]). Preschool girls and boys with low parental education had higher odds for overweight than children with high parental education. Among boys, low levels of parental education contributed to the odds of overweight via indirect effects by both factors 'sweets consumption in front of TV' (OR = 1.31[1.05-1.59]) and 'no sports' (OR = 1.14[1.01-1.38]). Among girls, FC measured did not explain SEP differences in overweight. Family nutrition and parental/family physical activity contribute to inequalities in overweight among preschool boys, but not girls. Research is needed to identify FC that explain inequalities in overweight for both.}, language = {en} } @techreport{HoffmannWachtlerSanderetal., author = {Hoffmann, Stephanie and Wachtler, Benjamin and Sander, Lydia and Blume, Miriam and Hilger-Kolb, Jennifer and Herke, Max and Matos Fialho, Paula Mayara and Pischke, Claudia R. and Novelli, Anna and Lampert, Thomas and Spallek, Jacob}, title = {Health inequalities among infants and pre-school children: Protocol for a scoping review examining the moderating and mediating role of contextual and compositional family characteristics}, publisher = {Open Science Framework}, doi = {10.17605/OSF.IO/3U4ST}, abstract = {Background: Although early childhood is a life period of overall good health, research shows that families' socioeconomic position (SEP) is affecting children's health from pregnancy on, ultimately leading to health inequalities. Little is currently known about the pathways by which family SEP is influencing child health and health-related behaviour, and which role family characteristics play. The scoping review therefore aims to screen the international literature on the mediating and moderating effects of contextual and compositional family characteristics on socioeconomic health risks of pre-school children in developed countries. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, three online databases (Pubmed, PsycINFO, and Scopus) will be searched for literature in English or German published after year 2000. The two-step data screening approach and the subsequent data extraction will be conducted independently by two researchers in consideration of specific criteria and a previously tested standardized data extraction form. Due to the broad research question at hand, various study designs (e.g. cross-sectional, intervention, cohort studies, and qualitative studies), SEP measures (e.g. education, income) and compositional (e.g. family size, migration) or contextual (e.g. parenting, housing) family characteristics influencing children's health will be included. Since diverse definitions and reporting formats of subjective health, health behaviour, well-being, and diseases will be considered, a substantial heterogeneity in outcome measures focusing on the age group of 0-6 years is expected. Thus, a narrative synthesis of the findings will be performed according to the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination framework. Ethics and dissemination: Because no primary data will be collected, ethical clearance will not be required. Dissemination will include peer-reviewed publications and conferences.}, language = {en} } @misc{HilgerKolbSchneiderHerretal., author = {Hilger-Kolb, Jennifer and Schneider, Sven and Herr, Raphael and Osenbruegge, Nina and Hoffmann, Stephanie and Herke, Max and Pischke, Claudia R. and Sundmacher, Leonie and Diehl, Katharina}, title = {Associations between contextual and compositional characteristics of early childcare facilities with health, health behaviours and well-being among young children aged 06 years: protocol for a scoping review}, series = {BMJ Open}, volume = {10}, journal = {BMJ Open}, number = {9}, issn = {2044-6055}, doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037038}, pages = {6}, abstract = {Introduction: Early childhood is an important life stage which is crucial for determining health and health inequalities in later life. At the meso-level (institutional-level), early childcare facilities (eg, kindergartens, preschools) are the most important agent of socialisation next to families in young children aged 06 years. In recent years, an increasing amount of studies has focused on contextual and compositional characteristics of early childcare facilities and their association with health (eg, self-rated health), health behaviour (eg, physical activity) and well-being (eg, emotional well-being) in this age group. However, as currently no overview of the available literature on this topic exists, we will conduct a scoping review including various study designs (eg, cross-sectional studies, prospective studies, qualitative studies). Methods and analysis: We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A systematic search of the following scientific databases will be conducted: PubMed/Medline, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts, Education Resources Information Center and The Cochrane Library. During the selection process, we will follow a two-step process. First, two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts of all potentially eligible articles by applying a set of previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After the completion of the title/abstract screening, full texts of the remaining articles will be screened following the same procedure. To determine inter-rater agreement between reviewers, we will calculate Cohen's Kappa after both steps. Key characteristics (eg, country of origin, sample size, study design) of included articles will be extracted. We will map the evidence available by providing a summary table on the key characteristics extracted and by presenting the associations using various types of illustrations. Ethics and dissemination: Since no primary data will be collected for this review, ethical approval is not required. Our findings will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal and presented at national and international conferences.}, language = {en} } @misc{MatosFialhoDraganoReuteretal., author = {Matos Fialho, Paula Mayara and Dragano, Nico and Reuter, Matthias and Metzendorf, Maria-Inti and Richter, Bernd and Richter, Matthias and Spallek, Jacob and Diehl, Katharina and Lampert, Thomas and Pischke, Claudia R.}, title = {Health inequalities during school-to-work transitions among young adults: Mapping the evidence}, series = {European Journal of Public Health}, volume = {30}, journal = {European Journal of Public Health}, number = {Supplement_5}, doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.278}, pages = {1}, abstract = {Background School-to-work transition is a sensitive period that can have a substantial impact on health over the life course. Previous studies suggest pronounced health inequalities during this period but little is known about the determinants at the individual, meso- and macro-levels. We aim to further elucidate possible health inequalities during school-to-work transitions with a focus on multilevel determinants, e.g. evidence on potential effects of contextual and compositional factors of specific institutions involved. Methods We are currently conducting a scoping review (funded by the German Research Foundation) to map the evidence on the above mentioned topic among young adults (aged 16-24 years), following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and {\´O}Malley and PRISMA. The literature search was performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, ILO and NIOSH, using sensitive search strategy developed by text-analysis. Only articles published between January 2000 - February 2020 and written in English or German are considered. The selection process is conducted following a two-step approach:1) screening of titles and abstracts 2) screening of full-texts by two independent reviewers. Any discrepancies in the selection process are resolved by a third researcher. Preliminary Results Following the five stages of the methodological framework, the scoping review is currently in stage 3 (study selection-screening phase). We found 25,069 potentially relevant articles in our primary search. 15,508 articles remained after the duplicates were removed. Up to now, 8,825 papers were screened of which 7,629 were excluded and 1,176 included which qualified for full-text reading. Complete results of the scoping review will be presented at the conference. Conclusions This scoping review will improve our knowledge about the emergence and development of health inequalities during school-to-work transitions by examining health of individuals in different institutional contexts. Key messages - Improving our knowledge of health inequalities during school-to-work transitions. - the role of determinants at the individual, meso- and macro-levels during this stage will also be examined.}, language = {en} } @misc{MatosFialhoDraganoReuteretal., author = {Matos Fialho, Paula Mayara and Dragano, Nico and Reuter, Marvin and Metzendorf, Maria-Inti and Richter, Bernd and Hoffmann, Stephanie and Diehl, Katharina and Wachtler, Benjamin and Sundmacher, Leonie and Herke, Max and Pischke, Claudia R.}, title = {Mapping the evidence regarding school-to- work/ university transition and health inequalities among young adults: a scoping review protocol}, series = {BMJ Open}, volume = {10}, journal = {BMJ Open}, number = {12}, issn = {2044-6055}, doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039831}, abstract = {School-to-work/university transition is a sensitive period that can have a substantial impact on health and health behaviour over the life course. There is some indication that health and health behaviour is socially patterned in the age span of individuals in this transition (16-24 years) and that there are differences by socioeconomic position (SEP). However, evidence regarding this phenomenon has not been systematically mapped. In addition, little is known about the role of institutional characteristics (eg, of universities, workplaces) in the development of health and possible inequalities in health during this transition. Hence, the first objective of this scoping review is to systematically map the existing evidence regarding health and health behaviours (and possible health inequalities, for example, differences by SEP) in the age group of 16-24 years and during school-to-work transition noted in Germany and abroad. The second objective is to summarise the evidence on the potential effects of contextual and compositional characteristics of specific institutions entered during this life stage on health and health behaviours. Third, indicators and measures of these characteristics will be summarised.Methods and analysisWe will systematically map the evidence on health inequalities during school-to-work-transitions among young adults (aged 16-24 years), following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. The literature search is performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, International Labour Organization and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, using a predetermined search strategy. Articles published between January 2000 and February 2020 in English or German are considered for the review. The selection process follows a two-step approach: (1) screening of titles and abstracts, and (2) screening of full texts, both steps by two independent reviewers. Any discrepancies in the selection process are resolved by a third researcher. Data extraction will be performed using a customised data extraction sheet. The results will be presented in tabular and narrative form.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for this scoping review. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and presented at international conferences and project workshops.}, language = {en} } @misc{HerkeMoorWinteretal., author = {Herke, Max and Moor, Irene and Winter, Kristina and Hoffmann, Stephanie and Spallek, Jacob and Hilger-Kolb, Jennifer and Pischke, Claudia R. and Dragano, Nico and Novelli, Anna and Richter, Matthias}, title = {Role of contextual and compositional characteristics of schools for health inequalities in childhood and adolescence: protocol for a scoping review}, series = {BMJ Open}, volume = {10}, journal = {BMJ Open}, number = {12}, issn = {2044-6055}, doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038999}, pages = {7}, abstract = {Introduction Childhood and adolescence are crucial life stages for health trajectories and the development of health inequalities in later life. The relevance of schools for health and well-being of children and adolescents has long been recognised, and there is some research regarding the association of contextual and compositional characteristics of schools and classes with health, health behaviour and well-being in this population. Little is known about the role of meso-level characteristics in relation to health inequalities. The aim of this scoping review is to retrieve and synthesise evidence about the mediating or moderating role of compositional or contextual characteristics of schools for the association between students' socioeconomic position and health in primary and secondary education. Methods and analysis We will conduct a systematic search of electronic databases in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Education Resources Information Center. Studies must meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) The population must be students attending primary or secondary schools in developed economies. (2) The outcomes must include at least one indicator for individual health, health behaviour or well-being. (3) The study must include at least one contextual or compositional characteristic of the school context and one individual determinant of socioeconomic position. (4) The study must also examine the mediating or moderating role of the contextual or compositional characteristic of the school context for the associations between socioeconomic position and health, health behaviour or well-being. (5) The study must be published since 1 January 2000 in English or German language. We will provide a narrative synthesis of findings. Ethics and dissemination We will not collect primary data and only include secondary data derived from previously published studies. Therefore, ethical approval is not required. We intend to publish our findings in an international peer-reviewed journal and to present them at national and international conferences.}, language = {en} } @misc{HerrDiehlSchneideretal., author = {Herr, Raphael and Diehl, Katharina and Schneider, Sven and Osenbruegge, Nina and Memmer, Nicole and Sachse, Steffi and Hoffmann, Stephanie and Wachtler, Benjamin and Herke, Max and Pischke, Claudia R. and Novelli, Anna and Hilger-Kolb, Jennifer}, title = {Which Meso-Level Characteristics of Early Childhood Education and Care Centers Are Associated with Health, Health Behavior, and Well-Being of Young Children? Findings of a Scoping Review}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {18}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {9}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph18094973}, pages = {4973}, abstract = {Characteristics of early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers might be relevant for children's health. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the association between meso-level characteristics (MLCs) of ECEC centers with children's health, health behavior, and wellbeing. Five databases were searched for quantitative and qualitative research articles published in English or German since 1 January 2000 on health, health behavior, and wellbeing of children aged 0 to 6 years considering MLCs of ECEC centers. Two authors screened 10,396 potentially eligible manuscripts and identified 117 papers, including 3077 examinations of the association between MLCs and children's health indicators (Kappas > 0.91). Five categories of MLCs were identified: (1) structural characteristics, (2) equipment/furnishings, (3) location, (4) facilities/environment, (5) culture/activities/policies/practices, and 6) staff. Only very few studies found an association of MLCs with body weight/obesity, and general health and wellbeing. Especially physical activity and mental health were related to MLCs. In general, the location (rural vs. urban, neighborhood status) seemed to be a relevant health aspect. MLCs of ECEC centers appeared relevant for child health indicators to different degrees. Future research should focus on these associations, in detail, to identify concrete ECEC indicators that can support health promotion in early childhood.}, language = {en} } @misc{HoffmannSanderBlumeetal., author = {Hoffmann, Stephanie and Sander, Lydia and Blume, Miriam and Schneider, Sven and Herke, Max and Matos Fialho, Paula Mayara and Pischke, Claudia R. and Sch{\"u}ttig, Wiebke and Lampert, Thomas and Spallek, Jacob}, title = {Do families have moderating or mediating effects on early health inequalities? A scoping review}, series = {European Journal of Public Health}, volume = {31}, journal = {European Journal of Public Health}, number = {Supplement_3}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckab165.506}, abstract = {Background During early childhood, families have a crucial impact on children's health behaviour, health, and development (bhd). However, a family's socioeconomic position (SEP) determines both the parental behaviour, living conditions, and child health. To understand how family characteristics may influence the development of health inequalities, this scoping review synthesised research on their mediating and moderating effects. Methods The review followed the guidelines of the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. The search included German and English peer-reviewed articles published between January 1st, 2000 and December 19th, 2019. The search in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus used both free text terms in the title/abstract and index terms within linked keyword blocks: (1) family characteristics, (2) inequalities, (3) income, education, occupation, (4) bhd, (5) newborn, infant, toddler, preschooler. Two researchers independently examined eligibility for inclusion in two rounds (title/abstract; full-text). Results Of 7,089 articles identified, ten sources were included that studied family characteristics and health inequalities among 0-6 years olds. Parental rules, stress, and screentime, and TV in bedroom showed mediating effects on inequalities in behaviour problems or children's screentime. Families' negativity, single parenthood, and the number of children in the household moderated differences in impairment, health, behaviour problems, development or breastfeeding initiation. Conclusions The effect of family characteristics on early health inequalities has been sparsely investigated. The evidence supported models of family stress and investment. Further research is needed to comprehensively understand this association. Key messages Family characteristics contribute to health inequalities. Taking families' stress and investment into account could improve targeted prevention efforts aimed at reducing health inequalities.}, language = {en} }