title: Regional differences in birth size: a comparison between the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study and contemporaneous births on the Åland Islands.
abstract: The Åland Islands were recently ranked as Finland's healthiest region with lower prevalence of several non-communicable diseases compared with the national mean. We have compared birth characteristics of 1697 individuals born on the Åland Islands between 1937 and 1944 with contemporaneous data from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (HBCS; n=11,808). This is a first step towards a potential future analysis of Ålandic health from a life-course perspective. Mean birth weight and length were calculated for both cohorts. Birth weight was entered into a multiple linear regression model with sex, maternal age, marital status and birth year as predictors. Mean birth weight in the Åland cohort was 3499 g, 87 g (95% CI 62; 111) higher compared with the HBCS. Sex and maternal marital status were the strongest predictors of birth weight. More detailed studies are needed to explore the potential effects of this difference in average birth weight between cohorts.
authors: 1Folkhälsan Research Centre,Helsinki,Finland.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sandboge
authors: 3Hanken School of Economics,Helsinki,Finland.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Fellman
authors: 4Clinical Sciences,Lund University,Malmö,Sweden.
authors: P M
authors: PM
authors: Nilsson
authors: 5Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics,Department of Genetic Epidemiology,Helsinki,Finland.
authors: A W
authors: AW
authors: Eriksson
authors: 6MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit,University of Southampton,Southampton General Hospital,Southampton,UK.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Osmond
authors: 1Folkhälsan Research Centre,Helsinki,Finland.
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: birth length; birth weight; regional health differences