Complete Schedule

Factors Related to Low Birth Weight in Teenage Mothers

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Abstract

National data indicates that 8.0% of all infants are born with weigh below 2,500 grams. Teenage mothers are at an increased risk of delivering LBW or preterm infants (Chen et al., 2007). LBW is linked to higher mortality rates (Mathews & MacDorman, 2013), greater health care needs (Kowlessar, Jiang, & Steiner, 2013), and higher rates of chronic conditions (Boulet & Schieve, 2011). We analyzed factors related to LBW incorporating the individual (e.g., smoking, drinking, maternal age) and environmental level factors (e.g., lead poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, crime data) using county birth certificates data for teenage mothers from 2007 to 2013 (n = 966, Mage =18.1), analyzed in a multilevel model based on Census Block Group (CBG) areas. The effect of the environment was not significant in the overall model. In the final model, the odds of having a LBW infant were significantly higher for teenage mothers who received fewer months of prenatal care; 2.26 [CI(.95)1.32, 3.86], indicating teens with less prenatal care were 126% more likely to have a LBW infant. No other individual or environmental factors were significant in the overall model. County level intervention to reduce the LBW should focus on access to prenatal care for pregnant teens.

Start Date

25-4-2015 12:00 PM

End Date

25-4-2015 1:15 AM

Faculty Advisor

Ki Hyung Park

Comments

Location: Great Reading Room, Seerley Hall

File Format

application/pdf

Electronic copy is not available through UNI ScholarWorks.

Comments?

Share

COinS
 
Apr 25th, 12:00 PM Apr 25th, 1:15 AM

Factors Related to Low Birth Weight in Teenage Mothers

National data indicates that 8.0% of all infants are born with weigh below 2,500 grams. Teenage mothers are at an increased risk of delivering LBW or preterm infants (Chen et al., 2007). LBW is linked to higher mortality rates (Mathews & MacDorman, 2013), greater health care needs (Kowlessar, Jiang, & Steiner, 2013), and higher rates of chronic conditions (Boulet & Schieve, 2011). We analyzed factors related to LBW incorporating the individual (e.g., smoking, drinking, maternal age) and environmental level factors (e.g., lead poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, crime data) using county birth certificates data for teenage mothers from 2007 to 2013 (n = 966, Mage =18.1), analyzed in a multilevel model based on Census Block Group (CBG) areas. The effect of the environment was not significant in the overall model. In the final model, the odds of having a LBW infant were significantly higher for teenage mothers who received fewer months of prenatal care; 2.26 [CI(.95)1.32, 3.86], indicating teens with less prenatal care were 126% more likely to have a LBW infant. No other individual or environmental factors were significant in the overall model. County level intervention to reduce the LBW should focus on access to prenatal care for pregnant teens.