Objective The aim was to identify whether ethnic differences in coeliac disease autoimmunity (CDA) in children at 6 years of age exist, and when present, to evaluate how these differences may be explained by sociodemographic and environmental factors.

Design This study was embedded within a multi-ethnic population-based prospective cohort study.

Setting and patients 4442 six-year-old children born between 2002 and 2006 were included. Information on ethnicity, environmental and lifestyle characteristics was assessed by questionnaires. Ethnicity was categorised into Western (Dutch, European, Indonesian, American, Oceanian) and non-Western (Turkish, Moroccan, Cape Verdean, Antillean, Surinamese). Serum transglutaminase type 2 antibody (TG2A) levels were measured with fluorescence enzyme immunoassay. Serum IgG levels against cytomegalovirus (CMV) were measured by ELISA.

Main outcome measures TG2A positivity was defined as TG2A ≥7 U/mL, strong TG2A positivity as TG2A ≥10 upper limit normal (70 U/mL).

Results Of 4442 children, 60 (1.4%) children were TG2A positive, of whom 31 were strong positive. 66% of children were Western, 33% non-Western. Western ethnicity, high socioeconomic position and daycare attendance were positively associated with strong TG2A positivity (odds ratio (OR) 6.85 (1.62 to 28.8) p<0.01, OR 3.70 (1.40 to 9.82) p<0.01, OR 3.90 (1.38 to 11.0) p=0.01 resp.), whereas CMV seropositivity was inversely related to strong TG2A positivity (OR 0.32 (0.12 to 0.84) p=0.02). Together, these factors explained up to 47% (−67 to −17; p=0.02) of the ethnic differences in TG2A positivity between Western and non-Western children.

Conclusions Ethnic differences in children with CDA are present in childhood. Socioeconomic position, daycare attendance and CMV seropositivity partly explained these differences, which may serve as targets for prevention strategies for CDA.