Abstract

Social class is one of the strongest known predictors of health or illness, but paradoxically very little is known about this variable. Adequate data on socioeconomic status (SES) and birth outcomes must be available to monitor socioeconomic inequality in birth outcomes. Our research wasdesigned to respond to this gap. This is the first large-scale survey of this kind in Ontario. Results from large scale surveys are instrumental for policy making and planning programs to improve population health and wellbeing. In this survey, the association of SES with maternal variables such as maternal age, height, previous stillbirths, previous neonatal deaths, duration of gestation, and forms of delivery was studied. In this study, the records from about 47,000 babies which have been collected over a period of 5 years by the hospitals in rural and urban areas of Ontario were accessed and analyzed. The results demonstrate that mothers from lower social classes were significantly younger, shorter, more previous stillbirths, more previous neonatal deaths with longer duration of gestation, and more spontaneous deliveries but less chance of having forceps or a Cesarean section. Lower income respondents may be exposed to more stressful life events beyond their control and there may be fewer social and psychological resources to cope with stressful life events. To improve health outcomes of infants born to teenage mothers, policies should aim at providing additional social support as well as additional financial resources to adolescent mothers.

Key words: Socioeconomic status, maternal health variables, age, height, stillbirths, neonatal deaths, duration of gestation, forms of delivery.