© 1992 Oxford University Press
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Mother's Education and Perinatal Problems in Finland
*Department of Public Health. University of Helsinki Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
**National Agency for Welfare and Health PO Box 220. 00531 Helsinki, Finland
Department of Social Policy, University of Helsinki Hämeentie 68, 00550 Helsinki. Finland
Hemminki E (Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Heartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland), Meriläinen J, Malin M, Rahkonen O and Teperi J. Mother's education and perinatal problems in Finland. International Journal of Epidemiology 1992; 21: 720–724.
This study using nationwide data expands a previous study from one area in Finland. The purpose was to study how perinatal problems (mortality, short gestation, low birthweight and low Apgar scores) vary by mother's social class, which is measured by level of education. Outcomes of all births in the 1987 Medical Birth Register were linked to the 1988 National Education Register with gives the estimated number of years of completed education. In unadjusted analyses, the lowest educational groups (<9 years) had the worst results for outcomes other than neonatal mortality. Results in the two highest educational groups (
13 and 12 years of education) were similar and if anything, better in the second highest group. Excluding twins and adjusting for confounding variables (age, parity, county, urbanization of residence) by logistic regression analysis did not alter the results much. Adjustment for possible mechanisms corrdated with social class (marital status, smoking, time of first antenatal visit) decreased the higher occurrence of low birthweight infants in the low educational groups. Reported previous miscarriages were more common in the higher educational groups. Based on the available background characteristics one would expect to have found the usual social gradient in perinatal problems to have persisted between the two highest educational groups. Further studies on factors causing the plateau in the gradient between these groups might be useful.
Received 1 February 1992
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