Characteristics of the families* in the Boyd Orr survey of diet and health in pre-second world war Britain (1937 to 1939)
| Data are median (interquartile range) or number (%). | |
| *As the individual level data is the same for each family member the data were analysed for the 1234 families that were represented in the main analysis; †Townsend deprivation score based on 1991 census data, calculated as the sum of standardised scores for levels of car ownership, house ownership, overcrowding, and unemployment in the Family Health Service Authority of residence (negative values indicate less deprivation). | |
| Per capita family food expenditure (new pence/week) | 27.7 (21.7 to 37.8) |
| Townsend score† | −1.6 (−2.8 to 0.9) |
| Father’s social class | |
| I | 19 (1.5%) |
| II | 89 (7.2%) |
| III | 242 (19.6%) |
| IV | 284 (23.0%) |
| V | 176 (14.3%) |
| Unemployed | 323 (26.2%) |
| Unclassifiable | 101 (8.2%) |
| District of residence as a child | |
| Aberdeen | 24 (1.9%) |
| Barthol Chapel | 31 (2.5%) |
| Barrow | 93 (7.5%) |
| Bethnall Green | 264 (21.4%) |
| Coal Town of Wemyss | 40 (3.2%) |
| Dundee | 91 (7.4%) |
| Edinburgh | 49 (4.0%) |
| Fulham | 82 (6.7%) |
| Hopeman | 24 (1.9%) |
| Kintore | 6 (0.5%) |
| Liverpool | 99 (8.0%) |
| Methlick | 34 (2.8%) |
| Tarves | 100 (8.1%) |
| Wisbech | 145 (11.8%) |
| West Wemyss | 55 (4.5%) |
| Yorkshire | 97 (7.9%) |
| Period of birth | |
| Before 1926 | 231 (18.7%) |
| 1926–1930 | 347 (28.1%) |
| 1931–1935 | 391 (31.7%) |
| After 1935 | 265 (21.5%) |
| Season when studied as a child | |
| Spring | 470 (38.1%) |
| Summer | 343 (27.8%) |
| Autumn | 209 (16.9%) |
| Winter | 212 (17.2%) |