Low Birth Weight and Prematurity in Ohio: A Multivariate Analysis
Joseph Ahern, Research Fellow
July 7, 2017
This paper follows up on a report published by The Center for Community Solutions in November, 2016, Birth Outcomes in Ohio, 2010-2014. This paper examines demographic and clinical correlates of low birth weight and prematurity among births in Ohio, which have been identified as leading risk factors for infant mortality.
Key Takeaways
- Age, race, education, smoking and marital status are important factors in explaining differences in birth outcomes.
- Being over 35, African American, a smoker or not finishing high school were factors that increased risk for delivering prematurely and having a baby with low birth weight, even when other indicators are held constant.
- Teen childbearing had the highest rates of poor outcomes in the bivariate analysis, but a negligible effect in the multivariate analysis when other indicators are held constant. This indicates that factors other than the young age of the mother contributed more heavily to low birth weight and prematurity.