American Journal of Public Health
Volume 88, Issue 5, 1998, Pages 808-811

High birthweights among infants of North African immigrants in Belgium (Article) (Open Access)

Buekens P.* , Masuy-Stroobant G. , Delvaux T.
  • a Dept. of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Univ. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States, Dept. of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Univ. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400, United States
  • b Institute of Demography, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
  • c Dept. of Epidemiol. and Social Med., School of Public Health, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Objectives. This study was examined birthweights of North African immigrants in Belgium. Methods. Analyses focused on Belgian single live birth certificates from 1981 to 1988. Results. Low-birthweight (<2500 g) rates were 3.1% among 34 686 newborns of North African origin and 4.8% among 804 286 newborns of Belgian origin. The entire North African birthweight distribution was shifted toward higher birthweights than the Belgian distribution. Low frequencies of low birthweights among North Africans were still observed after marital status, occupation of the father, and parity had been taken into account. Conclusions. Despite their low socioeconomic status, North African immigrants have high birthweights.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

controlled study occupation major clinical study immigrant newborn parity socioeconomics Belgium high birth weight Article marriage human North Africa

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0031843001&doi=10.2105%2fAJPH.88.5.808&partnerID=40&md5=60460237a0bc96fa9a1701bb6250e265

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.88.5.808
ISSN: 00900036
Cited by: 42
Original Language: English