Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108795

Chun-Li Jennifer Wu and Tung-liang Chiang. Institute of Health Policy and Management, National Taiwan University, Rm1519, 1, Section 1, Jen-ai Road, Taipei, 10018, Taiwan, 886-2-2341-4493, d93845002@ntu.edu.tw

Social disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA) have become a popular public health focus, but how the social patterning varies in different socio-cultural contexts has been less addressed. This study aimed to examine social disparities in preterm birth and SGA in Taiwan, a country where women generally receive exceptional attention during pregnancy regardless of family socioeconomic status. Data were drawn from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Pilot Study, with a nationally representative sample of 1,727 live singleton births in 2003. Of the population studied, incidence rates were 8.4% for preterm birth and 11.1% for SGA. The higher incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Taiwan was significantly associated with poor maternal education and foreign-born mothers, but not with poor family income, after the adjustment of infant sex, maternal age, mother's health conditions and smoking status during pregnancy. Importantly, for infants born to mothers with higher education, the incidence of preterm declined sharply, whereas the incidence of SGA declined at a slower pace. In addition, the increased risk of preterm remained among infants of native mothers, the mainstream ethic groups, in the multiple regression analyses. Inconsistent with previous evidence from North American and European countries, the social patterning of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Taiwan implies the potential impacts of socio-cultural values and practices in prenatal care.

Learning Objectives:

• To examine social disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes in Taiwan where pregnant women enjoy an unusual favorable status in rich families as well as in poor families

Keywords: Pregnancy Outcomes, Social Inequalities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.