MATERNAL OCCUPATION AND MARITAL STATUS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BIRTH WEIGHT AND RISK OF PRETERM BIRTH IN MONCHEGORSK (MURMANSK REGION) DURING A 30-YEAR PERIOD

Abstract

We have studied social variations in the average birth weight and prevalence of preterm birth over a 30 year period based on data from the Kola Birth Registry (KBR) in Monchegorsk, we also have investigated associations between birth weight and preterm delivery and maternal occupation. Data on 24,602 infants born live from singleton pregnancies with birth weight above 1,000 grams and their mothers were abstracted inform the KBR. Associations between maternal occupation, marital status and birth weight and preterm birth have been studied. Multiple linear regression was used to quantify influences of independent variables of maternal characteristics on birth weight and preterm births. The multivariable logistic regression was applied to study independent associations between the studied factors and preterm births with and without adjustment to potential confounders. The babies born by the unmarried mothers were on the average 101 g (95% CI: -118, -84) lighter than the babies born by the married women. The women from all other occupations except machine operators, mechanical and trade workers had lighter babies compared to the women from the highest occupational category. The babies of the unmarried mothers were more likely to be born preterm (OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.19). Birth weight and risk of preterm delivery are connected with social factors, such as the mother’s occupation and her marital status, admittedly through the economic component.