Annals of Epidemiology
Volume 22, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 175-182

Differences in Preterm and Low Birth Weight Deliveries Between Spanish and Immigrant Women: Influence of the Prenatal Care Received (Article)

Castelló A. , Río I. , Martinez E. , Rebagliato M. , Barona C. , Llácer A. , Bolumar F.*
  • a National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
  • b National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
  • c Department of Obstetrics, Hospital of Guadix, Granada, Spain
  • d Department of Obstetrics, Hospital of Guadix, Granada, Spain, Department of Health, General Directorate of Public Health, Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
  • e Department of Obstetrics, Hospital of Guadix, Granada, Spain, Department of Health, General Directorate of Public Health, Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
  • f National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
  • g Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain, Spanish Network for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the risk of preterm and low birth weight among newborns from native and immigrant women and to assess the role of prenatal care in the association between the ethnic origin of the women and their reproductive outcomes. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 21,708 women giving birth between 1997 and 2008 in a region of Spain. Multinomial logistic regression models were adjusted to evaluate associations between mother's area of origin and adverse reproductive outcomes and to assess the role of prenatal care in the occurrence of adverse reproductive results. Results: Our results indicate a worse prenatal control in immigrants than in natives. Very preterm birth (VPTB) and very low birth weight (VLBW) were greater among immigrants (odds ratio [OR], 1.78; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.14-2.79 for VPTB and OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 0.89-3.33 for VLBW) but after adjustment for prenatal care the differences were substantially reduced (OR, 1.43; 95% CI 0.85-2.42 for VPTB and OR 1.15; 95% CI 0.53-2.52 for VLBW). Conclusions: Given the positive impact of prenatal care on reproductive results, strategies to improve it among immigrant women should be implemented. The difference found in the direction of the association between area of origin and different categories of low birth weight and preterm suggest that very and moderate categories should be analyzed separately in immigrant studies. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.

Author Keywords

emigrants and immigrants Prenatal care gestational age Birth weight Low birth weight Premature Birth Very Low Birth Weight

Index Keywords

immigrant South and Central America Africa south of the Sahara prenatal care very low birth weight Health Status Disparities human controlled study priority journal comparative study Eastern Europe premature labor Logistic Models Infant, Premature Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult Humans Hispanic Adolescent female genital system Infant, Newborn male Emigrants and Immigrants Spain female Risk Factors newborn pregnancy Infant, Low Birth Weight Article delivery pregnancy outcome mother adult outcome assessment ethnicity Healthcare Disparities
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84857444869&doi=10.1016%2fj.annepidem.2011.12.005&partnerID=40&md5=0b059a745f43d95622bcf0db1b4c1956
DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.12.005
ISSN: 10472797
Cited by: 20
Original Language: English