Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Volume 64, Issue 3, 2010, Pages 243-251

International migration and adverse birth outcomes: Role of ethnicity, region of origin and destination (Review) (Open Access)

Urquia M.L. , Glazier R.H. , Blondel B. , Zeitlin J. , Gissler M. , Macfarlane A. , Ng E. , Heaman M. , Stray-Pedersen B. , Gagnon A.J.
  • a Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael's Hospital, 70 Richmond Street E, Toronto, ON M5C 1N8, Canada
  • b Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • c Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal Health and Women's Health (INSERM), Paris, France
  • d Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal Health and Women's Health (INSERM), Paris, France
  • e National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), Helsinki, Finland
  • f City University, London, United Kingdom
  • g Statistics Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • h Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
  • i University of Oslo, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
  • j McGill University/MUHC, Montreal, QC, Canada

Abstract

Background: The literature on international migration and birth outcomes shows mixed results. This study examined whether low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth differed between non-migrants and migrant subgroups, defined by race/ethnicity and world region of origin and destination. Methods: A systematic review and meta-regression analyses were conducted using three-level logistic models to account for the heterogeneity between studies and between subgroups within studies. Results: Twenty-four studies, involving more than 30 million singleton births, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with US-born black women, black migrant women were at lower odds of delivering LBW and preterm birth babies. Hispanic migrants also exhibited lower odds for these outcomes, but Asian and white migrants did not. Sub-Saharan African and Latin-American and Caribbean women were at higher odds of delivering LBW babies in Europe but not in the USA and south-central Asians were at higher odds in both continents, compared with the native-born populations. Conclusions The association between migration and adverse birth outcomes varies by migrant subgroup and it is sensitive to the definition of the migrant and reference groups.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Birth Rate Africa south of the Sahara regression analysis Europe human Asia statistics Ethnic Groups ethnic group comparative study heterogeneity ethnology Hispanic Americans United States Humans Hispanic Infant, Newborn female logistics newborn Review pregnancy three-dimensional modeling Infant, Low Birth Weight low birth weight pregnancy outcome migration international migration Catchment Area (Health) Emigration and Immigration ethnicity residential care
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77649296743&doi=10.1136%2fjech.2008.083535&partnerID=40&md5=0d07fdf65d2134ff290e812b1ed0f346
DOI: 10.1136/jech.2008.083535
ISSN: 0143005X
Cited by: 103
Original Language: English