Socio-economic status, smoking during pregnancy and birth outcomes: an analysis of cross-sectional community studies in Liverpool (1993-2001).
OBJECTIVE
To assess the influence of socio-economic status on pregnancy outcomes in smoking mothers.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis.


METHODS
Parent-completed questionnaires addressing pregnancy smoking patterns and birth outcomes. Were distributed via children aged 5-11 years attending 10 primary schools in Merseyside. Data from three community-based cross-sectional surveys undertaken in 1993, 1998 and 2001 were analysed. Townsend score was used as an indicator of household socioeconomic status.


RESULTS
82.2 percent (n = 3730) of respondents were classified as low (disadvantaged) socio-economic status. One-third of mothers smoked during pregnancy and this proportion was significantly higher among disadvantaged than advantaged categories (37.7% versus 14.6%; p < 0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed that only maternal smoking during pregnancy was a significant risk factor for adverse birth outcomes when socioeconomic variables were controlled.


CONCLUSIONS
Birth outcomes were worse in babies of smoking mothers during pregnancy independent of household's socio-economic status.
Delpisheh
Ali
A
Child and Reproductive Health Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Kelly
Yvonne
Y
Rizwan
Shaheen
S
Brabin
Bernard J
BJ
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology