Socioeconomic status and perinatal health

Several studies have demonstated that socioeconomic influences play an important role in health and this is especially true with regard to pregnancy-related health. In this study we propose to (1) identify socioeconomic differences in behavioural and lifestyle factors among pregnant women (e.g., do maternal obesity rates differ by family income) (2) determine whether socioeconomic status affects the receipt of obstetric services (e.g., cesarean delivery) (3) determine whether rates of adverse perinatal outcomes (e.g., preterm birth) differ according to socioeconomic status. Our study will use previously collected clinical information from a large perinatal database and also information on socioeconomic status from a database in Statistics Canada. The results of this research will help clinicians and public health experts to better understand disparities in perinatal health and to appropriately direct health promotion efforts to benefit the vulnerable segments of society.