Increasing prevalence of emotional symptoms in higher socioeconomic strata. Trend study among Danish schoolchildren 1991-2014

Aim

To examine trends in social inequality in emotional symptoms among 11-15-year-olds in Denmark from 1991 to 2014.

Methods

We combined seven comparable cross-sectional HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) surveys, N=31,169. Daily emotional symptoms were measured by the HBSC Symptom Check List and occupational social class (OSC) by students’ reports about parents’ occupation. 

Results

There was an increasing prevalence of emotional symptoms in the high and middle OSC but no change in the low OSC. In the combined study population there was a significant and graded increase in daily emotional symptoms with decreasing OSC: OR=1.23 (95% CI: 1.10-1.38) in middle and OR=1.83 (1.62-2.08) in low compared with high OSC. This relative social inequality in emotional symptoms was lower in the last than in the six earlier surveys. 

Conclusions

There was a diminishing social inequality in prevalence of emotional symptoms from 1991 to 2014, both in terms of absolute and relative social inequality.