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Table 2 Summary of study designs and sample characteristics at infancy and early childhood time points

From: Who uses early childhood education and care services? Comparing socioeconomic selection across five western policy contexts

Study country

UK

USA

Netherlands

Canada

Norway

Study name

MCS

SECCYD

Generation R

QLSCD

BONDS

References

Dex and Joshi (2005)

NICHD Early Child Care Research Network (2005)

Jaddoe et al. (2006)

Jetté and Des Groseillers (2000)

Naerde et al. (2014)

N at recruitment

18,819

1364

7893

2120

1157

Year(s) of children’s birth

2000–2002

1991

2002–2006

1997–1998

2006–2008

Study sites

4 UK countriesa

10 USA sites

City of Rotterdam

Province of Quebec

5 South East counties

Representative sample

Yes (of UK)

Nob

Noc

Yes (of Qc)

Nod

Infancy

 Mean age (SD) in months

9.73 (.65)

5.23 (.51)

6.65 (1.04)

4.50 (.55)

6.33 (.62)

 N (complete data)

15,835

1249

2208

2145

1139

 Ethnic minority (%)

12.6

18.7

18.6

8.5

6.2

 Young mother (%)

15.9

11.5

1.5

10.5

3.3

 Low income (%)

27.2

25.0

5.8

23.9

7.0

 Low maternal education (%)

26.9

9.2

8.6

15.7

8.7

 Single parent (%)

16.7

13.5

6.9

7.5

5.0

 Other children in home (%)

58.9

58.2

39.0

58.7

58.4

Early childhood

 Mean age (SD) in months

37.56 (2.32)

35.77 (.94)

36.67 (1.43)

40.6 (.58)

36.23 (.67)

 N (complete data)

10,935

1170

3505

1887

1010

 Low income (%)

27.8

24.8

7.8

16.5

5.4

 Low maternal education (%)

22.5

8.7

11.1

12.6

8.1

 Single parent (%)

15.2

14.9

9.1

11.6

4.5

 Other children in home (%)

74.6

73.5

71.4

79.1

76.7

  1. aThe four UK countries are England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
  2. bAlthough not designed as a nationally representative sample, analyses showed that its family income and ethnicity composition were similar to that of the USA (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network 2000)
  3. cFamilies enrolled were of higher socioeconomic status than the general Rotterdam population (Jaddoe et al. 2006)
  4. dThe final sample was compared to anonymous information provided by the health clinic on all families invited, and with national statistics, and is representative of the targeted population except for higher education among participants