title: Working conditions, socioeconomic factors and low birth weight: path analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, with socioeconomic changes in the society, the presence of women in the workplace is inevitable. The differences in working condition, especially for pregnant women, has adverse consequences like low birth weight.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted with the aim to model the relationship between working conditions, socioeconomic factors, and birth weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in case-control design. The control group consisted of 500 women with normal weight babies, and the case group, 250 women with low weight babies from selected hospitals in Tehran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire to determine mothers' lifestyle during pregnancy with low birth weight with health-affecting social determinants approach. This questionnaire investigated women's occupational lifestyle in terms of working conditions, activities, and job satisfaction. Data were analyzed with SPSS-16 and Lisrel-8.8 software using statistical path analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final path model fitted well (CFI =1, RMSEA=0.00) and showed that among direct paths, working condition (β=-0.032), among indirect paths, household income (β=-0.42), and in the overall effect, unemployed spouse (β=-0.1828) had the most effects on the low birth weight. Negative coefficients indicate decreasing effect on birth weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the path analysis model, working condition and socioeconomic status directly and indirectly influence birth weight. Thus, as well as attention to treatment and health care (biological aspect), special attention must also be paid to mothers' socioeconomic factors.
authors.affiliation: Social Determinant of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mahmoodi
authors.affiliation: Social Determinant of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karimlou
authors.affiliation: Social Determinant of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Homeira
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sajjadi
authors.affiliation: Social Determinant of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dejman
authors.affiliation: Social Determinant of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Meroe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vameghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahrokh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolatian
keywords: Health; Low Birth Weight; Socioeconomic Factors