title: Preconception stress, birth weight, and birth weight disparities among US women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the impact of preconception acute and chronic stressors on offspring birth weight and racial/ethnic birth weight disparities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included birth weights for singleton live first (n = 3512) and second (n = 1901) births to White, Mexican-origin Latina, other-origin Latina, and Black women reported at wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2007-2008; ages 24-32 years). We generated factor scores for preconception acute and chronic stressors from wave I (1994-1995; ages 11-19 years) or wave III (2001-2002; ages 18-26 years) for the same cohort of women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear regression models indicated that chronic stressors, but not acute stressors, were inversely associated with birth weight for both first and second births (b = -192; 95% confidence interval = -270, -113; and b = -180; 95% confidence interval = -315, -45, respectively), and partially explained the disparities in birth weight between the minority racial/ethnic groups and Whites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preconception chronic stressors contribute to restricted birth weight and to racial/ethnic birth weight disparities.
authors.affiliation: At the time of the study, Kelly L. Strutz was with the Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Vijaya K. Hogan, Carolyn Tucker Halpern, and Jon M. Hussey are with the Department of Maternal and Child Health, Anna Maria Siega-Riz is with the Department of Epidemiology and Department of Nutrition, and Chirayath M. Suchindran is with the Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Chirayath M. Suchindran, Carolyn Tucker Halpern, and Jon M. Hussey are also with the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Strutz
authors.forename: Vijaya K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Siega-Riz
authors.forename: Chirayath M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Suchindran
authors.forename: Carolyn Tucker
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: Jon M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hussey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American