Relative contributions of maternal social and biological characteristics to birth weight and gestation among mothers of different childhood socioeconomic status

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
There has been no reported systematic attempt to quantify the relative unique contribution of multiple social and biologic maternal characteristics to birth weight and gestational time among mothers of differing childhood socioeconomic backgrounds. This issue was examined in 3 nativity cohorts from 766 Black prenatal clinic patients in New York City [USA] using a series of stepwise hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Different variable sets contrbuted to birth weight variance in each group, although total variance explained was similar for the 3. since the foreign-born cohort represented a different higher childhood socioeconomic background, but was similar to the other groups in current SES [socioeconomic status], the differing observed associations of variable sets to birth weight may be related to childhood socioeconomic status. Social factors show more effect on gestation among birth weights of > 2500 g than for smaller babies and account for more total explained birth weight variance for birth weights over 2500 g.