Social inequality and perinatal health: comparison of three Brazilian cohorts



Document title: Social inequality and perinatal health: comparison of three Brazilian cohorts
Journal: Brazilian journal of medical and biological research
Database: PERIÓDICA
System number: 000351869
ISSN: 0100-879X
Authors: 1
1
1
1
2
2
Institutions: 1Universidade Federal do Maranhao, Hospital Universitario, Sao Luis, Maranhao. Brasil
2Universidade de Sao Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo. Brasil
Year:
Season: Sep
Volumen: 40
Number: 9
Pages: 1177-1186
Country: Brasil
Language: Inglés
Document type: Artículo
Approach: Analítico, descriptivo
English abstract The objective of the present study was to estimate and compare social inequality in terms of three indicators, i.e., low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB) and small for gestational age (SGA) birth, in three birth cohorts. Two cohorts were from the city of Ribeirão Preto, where data were collected for all 6748 live born singletons in 1978/79 and for one third of live born singletons (2846) in 1994. The third cohort consisted of 2443 singletons born in São Luís over a period of one year (1997/98). In Ribeirão Preto, LBW and PTB rates increased in all social strata from 1978/79 to 1994. Social inequalities regarding LBW and PTB disappeared since the increase in these rates was more accelerated in the groups with higher educational level. The percentage of SGA infants increased over the study period. Social inequality regarding SGA birth increased due to a more intense increase in SGA births in the strata with lower schooling. In São Luís, in 1997/98 there was no social inequality in LBW or PTB rates, whereas SGA birth rate was higher in mothers with less schooling. We speculate that the more accelerated increase in medical intervention, especially due to the increase in cesarean sections in the more privileged groups, could be the main factor explaining the unexpected increase in LBW and PTB rates in Ribeirão Preto and the decrease or disappearance of social inequality regarding these perinatal indicators in the two cities
Disciplines: Medicina
Keyword: Pediatría,
Salud pública,
Estudios de cohorte,
Parto prematuro,
Peso bajo al nacer,
Factores socioeconómicos,
Desigualdad social
Keyword: Medicine,
Pediatrics,
Public health,
Cohort studies,
Preterm delivery,
Birth low weight,
Socioeconomic factors,
Social inequity
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