TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk factors for low birth weight infants of hispanic, African American, and white women in Bexar County, Texas
T2 - Populations at risk across the lifespan: Empirical studies
AU - Tierney-Gumaer, Rosalie
AU - Reifsnider, Elizabeth
PY - 2008/9/1
Y1 - 2008/9/1
N2 - Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the risk factors in women who delivered an infant of low birth weight (LBW, <2,500 g) versus women who delivered an infant weighing >2,500 g in a large metropolitan county (Bexar) in South Texas. Design: An exploratory case comparison design was used to identify factors related to LBW outcomes in women receiving prenatal care. Sample: The cases were obtained from community hospitals. A stratified random sample was selected from a population of 38,064 infant births, of which 2,910 were identified as LBW. The final sample size was N=321 (<2,500 g, n=151; ≥2,500 g, n=170). Measurements: Dependent variable of infant birth weight; independent variables of maternal age, maternal race/ethnicity, education, smoking, prior pregnancy history, timing of and number of prenatal visits, prepregnancy body mass index and weight gain during pregnancy, and past medical history and medical problems during pregnancy. Results: Independent variables found to be predictive of LBW in this study included maternal race/ethnicity, timing of first prenatal visit, number of prenatal visits, prior pregnancy history, and maternal weight gain. Conclusions: This study confirmed previous findings that African American women are at a higher risk for LBW deliveries and demonstrated that Anglo and Hispanic women have similar rates of LBW deliveries.
AB - Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the risk factors in women who delivered an infant of low birth weight (LBW, <2,500 g) versus women who delivered an infant weighing >2,500 g in a large metropolitan county (Bexar) in South Texas. Design: An exploratory case comparison design was used to identify factors related to LBW outcomes in women receiving prenatal care. Sample: The cases were obtained from community hospitals. A stratified random sample was selected from a population of 38,064 infant births, of which 2,910 were identified as LBW. The final sample size was N=321 (<2,500 g, n=151; ≥2,500 g, n=170). Measurements: Dependent variable of infant birth weight; independent variables of maternal age, maternal race/ethnicity, education, smoking, prior pregnancy history, timing of and number of prenatal visits, prepregnancy body mass index and weight gain during pregnancy, and past medical history and medical problems during pregnancy. Results: Independent variables found to be predictive of LBW in this study included maternal race/ethnicity, timing of first prenatal visit, number of prenatal visits, prior pregnancy history, and maternal weight gain. Conclusions: This study confirmed previous findings that African American women are at a higher risk for LBW deliveries and demonstrated that Anglo and Hispanic women have similar rates of LBW deliveries.
KW - Low birth weight
KW - Minority health
KW - Prenatal care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=50049105771&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=50049105771&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2008.00723.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2008.00723.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 18816356
AN - SCOPUS:50049105771
SN - 0737-1209
VL - 25
SP - 390
EP - 400
JO - Public Health Nursing
JF - Public Health Nursing
IS - 5
ER -