A Trend Analysis on the Risk Factors for Low Birth Weight in Georgia

In the United States, low birth weight occurs in approximately 1 in every 12 newborn. Low birth weight is a major contributor to infant mortality. Modifiable maternal risk factors are associated with low birth weight, including prenatal care, marital status, alcohol intake, age, education, and tobacco use. Programs have been designed to reduce these risk factors, however many of these programs have not been evaluated to determine if their use has had an effect on the risk factors for the child-bearing population. This study utilized the epidemiological triad, which consists of the etiologic agent, mode of transmission, and the host to explore whether relationships exist between risk factors for pregnant mothers and newborns with low birth weight based on race and ethnicity in one southern US state from 2000 to 2006. Data were extracted from birth certificates from the state's Division of Public Health. Descriptive statistics were used to organize the risk factors for low birth weight by maternal race and ethnicity. Logistic regression analysis was applied to predict which modifiable risk factors are associated with low birth weight. The findings indicated significant association between low birth weight and all maternal risk factors: prenatal care, marital status, alcohol intake, age, education, and tobacco use among all mothers of the racial and ethnic groups studied. Surprisingly, the most significant risk factor for a woman for a low birth weight infant was seen in women who reported 42 to 49 prenatal care visits to a physician's office versus women who reported 10 to 20 prenatal care visits. The social change implications for this study include helping organizations and professionals to identify, plan, and implement, monitor, and evaluate programs and services designed to reduce or prevent low birth weight occurrence.