Determinants of birthweight inequalities: Population‐based study
- 12 September 2006
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Pediatrics International
- Vol. 48 (5), 470-478
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-200x.2006.02256.x
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to study the whole spectrum of birthweight in a population-based birth cohort in order to document the role played by social factors, which complement physiological and behavioural factors, in the development of birthweight inequalities at the population level. The analyses were performed with data from the 'Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development 1998-2002 (QLSCD)'. The study follows a representative sample (n = 2103) of the children born in 1998 in the Canadian province of Québec. Multivariate analyses adjusted for gestational age and mother's age indicate that mean birthweight was higher for boys than girls; improved with birth rank, mother's body mass index (BMI), and family socioeconomic status; and was lower for children of smoking mothers. Compared with children born to non-smoking mothers of higher socioeconomic status, the odds of having a low birthweight were between 6 and 12 times higher for children born to smoking mothers of lower or middle socioeconomic status. When maternal smoking status and mother's BMI are combined, socioeconomic status could still be seen to have a positive effect on mean birthweight except for overweight or obese smoking mothers, among whom the relationship between socioeconomic status and mean birthweight was reversed. In families of lower socioeconomic status, maternal smoking was the most important factor in birthweight inequalities, and in families of higher socioeconomic status, mother's BMI was the most important factor in birthweight inequalities. This research is not only important for children in developed nations, but also for those in developing countries, where high birthweight and obesity are becoming more prevalent.Keywords
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Maternal fish intake in late pregnancy and the frequency of low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation in a cohort of British infantsJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2004
- Social inequalities in low birth weight in England and Wales: trends and implications for future population healthJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2003
- Socioeconomic position in early life, birth weight, childhood cognitive function, and adult mortality. A longitudinal study of Danish men born in 1953Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2003
- Maternal psychological stress and distress as predictors of low birth weight, prematurity and intrauterine growth retardationEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003
- Intrauterine Growth and its Relationship to Size and Shape at BirthPediatric Research, 2002
- An increasing proportion of infants weigh more than 4000 grams at birthActa Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2001
- The “Fetal Origins” Hypothesis: Challenges and Opportunities for Maternal and Child NutritionAnnual Review of Nutrition, 2001
- Social position and nutrition: a gradient relationship in Canada and the USAEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2001
- Racial differences in birthweight for gestational age and infant mortality in extremely‐low‐risk US populationsPaediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 1999
- CorrespondenceJournal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1992