Effects on birthweights of maternal education, socio-economic status, and work-related characteristics.
Birthweights of 3,451 infants of women registered for antenatal care in Uppsala County, Sweden, were analyzed using three different maternal socio-economic indicators; education, socio-economic status and work environment exposure characteristics. Other explanatory variables were maternal age, parity, height, smoking habits, and length of gestation. Mean birthweights increase with longer education and higher socio-economic status. No general pattern was seen for work environment characteristics. When smoking habits are controlled for, social differences in birthweight decrease to non-significant values. A regression model with a socio-economic indicator alone explains only a minor part, less than 1%, of the variation in birthweight. When smoking is included, adding a socio-economic indicator does not significantly improve the model. Practically all social differences in birthweight are related to the differences in maternal age, parity, height, and smoking habits. If a socio-economic indicator is to be included in the analysis of birthweights (for other reasons like international comparisons), we recommend education.
Nordström
M L
ML
Department of Social Medicine, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Cnattingius
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014931:Women, Working / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*