A recent European study has revealed that children from lower-income households face a significantly higher risk of developing asthma compared to their counterparts in higher-income families. The research, led by the University of Copenhagen, examined this disparity across several European nations.

The study, which included Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Great Britain, and France, found a consistent trend: children whose mothers had less education, indicative of lower socioeconomic status, experienced a greater likelihood of developing asthma.

On average, children of mothers with a short or medium education have a 17 percent higher risk of developing asthma than children of mothers with a long education.

While the overall pattern was consistent, the degree of inequality varied among the countries studied. France exhibited the most pronounced disparity, with children from low-income families facing a 61 percent higher risk of developing asthma.

Denmark, known for its robust social safety net, displayed the lowest level of inequality in asthma development risk, although there was still a seven percent increased risk.

According to Angela Pinot de Moira, a visiting researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences at KU and author of the study, a consistent pattern is seen across Europe: “Although inequality is not the same in all countries, the overall picture is the same – even in a country like Denmark with a strong social safety net.”