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Table 1 Characteristics of the study population by highest parental education in the household

From: Socioeconomic position and prediagnostic health care contacts in children with cancer in Denmark: a nationwide register study

Characteristics Highest parental education in the householda Total
Short Medium Long
N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%)
No. of patients (1998–2016) 354 (100) 1316 (100) 1373 (100) 3043 (100)
Age at diagnosis (years)
 0 41 (12) 132 (10) 131 (10) 304 (10)
 1-4 123 (35) 417 (32) 534 (39) 1074 (35)
 5-10 113 (32) 390 (30) 394 (29) 897 (29)
 11-15 77 (22) 377 (29) 314 (23) 768 (25)
Sex
 Female 151 (43) 599 (46) 672 (49) 1422 (47)
 Male 203 (57) 717 (54) 701 (51) 1621 (53)
Period of diagnosis
 1998–2001 81 (23) 350 (27) 245 (18) 676 (22)
 2002–2006 98 (28) 368 (28) 332 (24) 798 (26)
 2007–2011 90 (25) 326 (25) 387 (28) 803 (26)
 2012–2016 85 (24) 272 (21) 409 (30) 766 (25)
Diagnostic group
 Leukemia 103 (29) 382 (29) 420 (31) 905 (30)
 Lymphoma 43 (12) 135 (10) 136 (10) 314 (10)
 CNS tumors 88 (25) 362 (28) 355 (26) 805 (26)
 Bone tumors and soft tissue sarcomas 39 (11) 139 (11) 143 (10) 321 (11)
 Other non-CNS solid tumors 81 (23) 298 (23) 319 (23) 698 (23)
Age of mother at time of diagnosis
  ≤ 25 59 (17) 70 (5) 12 (1) 141 (5)
 26–30 75 (21) 204 (16) 157 (11) 436 (14)
 31–35 93 (26) 340 (26) 387 (28) 820 (27)
 36–40 70 (20) 356 (27) 428 (31) 854 (28)
  ≥ 41 46 (13) 325 (25) 372 (27) 743 (24)
 Household without mother 11 (3) 21 (2) 17 (1) 49 (2)
Age of father at time of diagnosis
  ≤ 30 51 (14) 172 (13) 90 (7) 313 (10)
 31–35 45 (13) 250 (19) 300 (22) 595 (20)
 36–40 48 (14) 282 (21) 378 (28) 708 (23)
  ≥ 41 60 (17) 437 (33) 516 (38) 1013 (33)
 Household without father 150 (42) 175 (13) 89 (6) 414 (14)
Household cohabitation status
 Living as a couple (with unknown relation) 193 (55) 1120 (85) 1267 (92) 2580 (85)
 Living alone (single parent) 161 (45) 196 (15) 106 (8) 463 (15)
Highest parental income in householdb
 Fifth quintile 70 (20) 275 (21) 579 (42) 924 (30)
 Fourth quintile 56 (16) 365 (28) 440 (32) 861 (28)
 Third quintile 79 (22) 357 (27) 221 (16) 657 (22)
 Second quintile 98 (28) 231 (18) 103 (8) 432 (14)
 First quintile 51 (14) 88 (7) 30 (2) 169 (6)
Household affiliation to work marketc
 At work 133 (38) 947 (72) 1162 (85) 2242 (74)
 Mixed 74 (21) 266 (20) 164 (12) 504 (17)
 Unemployed/not in work force 147 (42) 103 (8) 47 (3) 297 (10)
Country of origin for household parent(s)d
 Denmark 243 (68) 1131 (86) 1213 (88) 2586 (85)
 Western countries 9 (3) 14 (1) 20 (1) 43 (1)
 Non-Western countries 93 (26) 133 (10) 69 (5) 295 (10)
 Mixed 10 (3) 38 (3) 71 (5) 119 (4)
Number of children in household
 1 94 (27) 326 (25) 291 (21) 711 (23)
 2 145 (41) 625 (47) 708 (52) 1478 (49)
 ≥ 3 115 (32) 365 (28) 374 (27) 854 (28)
Depression in household parent(s)
 No 288 (81) 1132 (86) 1248 (91) 2668 (88)
 Yes 66 (19) 184 (14) 125 (9) 375 (12)
Somatic or major psychiatric disease in household parent(s)
 None 310 (88) 1182 (90) 1247 (91) 2739 (90)
 One or more 44 (12) 134 (10) 126 (9) 304 (10)
  1. aHighest parental education in the household categorized into short (< 10 years, primary and lower secondary education), medium (10–12 years, upper secondary and vocational education) and higher education (≥3 years, higher education)
  2. bHighest parental income in household categorized into quintiles with first quintile as the lowest (< 20%). This is based on the highest annual disposable parental income in household based on the income quintile of the entire Danish population by birth cohort, calendar year and sex
  3. cHousehold affiliation to work market categorized into at work, unemployed/not in work force and mixed (one household parent at work and one unemployed/not in work force)
  4. dCountry of origin of household parents categorized into Denmark, Western country, Non-western country and mixed (household parents belong to different country categories)
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BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

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