Association of socioeconomic position with maternal pregnancy and infant health outcomes in birth cohort studies from Brazil and the UK

• Published in: Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) 2012-02, Vol.66 (2), p.127-135
• Main Authors: Matijasevich, A, Victora, C G, Lawlor, D A, Golding, J, Menezes, A M B, Araújo, C L, Barros, A J D, Santos, I S, Barros, F C, Smith, G Davey
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Birth weight; Brazil; Breast feeding; Breastfeeding; Cohort Studies; Disease models; Education; Educational Status; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Health Behavior; Health outcomes; Health risk assessment; Health Status; health status disparities; Hierarchical database models; Humans; Income inequality; Infant; Infant Welfare; Infants; longitudinal studies; Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Models, Statistical; Multilevel models; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Social Class; social inequalities; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Studies; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0143-005X; 1470-2738
• DOI: 10.1136/jech.2010.108605

BackgroundSocioeconomic inequalities in health outcomes are dynamic and vary over time. Differences between countries can provide useful insights into the causes of health inequalities. The study aims to compare the associations between two measures of socioeconomic position (SEP)—maternal education and family income—and maternal and infant health outcomes between ALSPAC and Pelotas cohorts.MethodsBirth cohort studies were started in Avon, UK, in 1991 (ALSPAC) and in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, in 1982, 1993 and 2004. Maternal outcomes included smoking during pregnancy, caesarean section and delivery not attended by a doctor. Infant outcomes were preterm birth, intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and breast feeding for