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Influence of Socio-Economic Factors and Region of Birth on the Risk of Preeclampsia in Sweden

Mattsson, Kristina LU ; Juárez, Sol LU and Malmqvist, Ebba LU orcid (2022) In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(7).
Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the association between socio-economic factors and the risk of preeclampsia in Sweden, specifically investigating if this relationship is confounded by maternal region of birth. Study design: All singleton births between 1999 and 2009 in an ethnically diverse area in southern Sweden, totaling 46,618 pregnancies, were included in this study. The data on maternal pregnancy outcomes were retrieved from a regional birth register and socio-economic variables from Statistics Sweden. The risk ratios for preeclampsia were calculated for educational level and household disposable income, adjusting for maternal region of birth, maternal age, body mass index, parity, and smoking. Results: Low income levels were... (More)

Objectives: To investigate the association between socio-economic factors and the risk of preeclampsia in Sweden, specifically investigating if this relationship is confounded by maternal region of birth. Study design: All singleton births between 1999 and 2009 in an ethnically diverse area in southern Sweden, totaling 46,618 pregnancies, were included in this study. The data on maternal pregnancy outcomes were retrieved from a regional birth register and socio-economic variables from Statistics Sweden. The risk ratios for preeclampsia were calculated for educational level and household disposable income, adjusting for maternal region of birth, maternal age, body mass index, parity, and smoking. Results: Low income levels were associated with a higher risk for preeclampsia, adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99, 1.59) and aRR = 1.36 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.68) for the two lowest quintiles, respectively, compared to the highest. There was an educational gradient in preeclampsia risk, although not all categories reached statistical significance: aRR = 1.16, (95% CI: 0.89–1.50) for low educational attainment and aRR = 1.23 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.41) for intermediate educational attainment compared to women with highest education. The socio-economic gradient remained after adjusting for region of birth. There was a lower risk for preeclampsia for women born in Asia, aRR = 0.60 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.75), regardless of socio-economic position. Conclusion: An increased risk for preeclampsia was seen for women with measures of lower socio-economic position, even in a universal, government-funded healthcare setting. The relationship was not explained by region of birth, indicating that the excess risk is not due to ethnically differential genetic pre-disposition but rather due to modifiable factors.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
immigrant health, preeclampsia, pregnancy health, region of birth, socio-economic factors
in
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
volume
19
issue
7
article number
4080
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85127071061
  • pmid:35409763
ISSN
1661-7827
DOI
10.3390/ijerph19074080
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
73dd224d-91f1-40ab-9378-7d44af8cc16e
date added to LUP
2022-05-04 14:24:13
date last changed
2024-06-13 12:20:56
@article{73dd224d-91f1-40ab-9378-7d44af8cc16e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: To investigate the association between socio-economic factors and the risk of preeclampsia in Sweden, specifically investigating if this relationship is confounded by maternal region of birth. Study design: All singleton births between 1999 and 2009 in an ethnically diverse area in southern Sweden, totaling 46,618 pregnancies, were included in this study. The data on maternal pregnancy outcomes were retrieved from a regional birth register and socio-economic variables from Statistics Sweden. The risk ratios for preeclampsia were calculated for educational level and household disposable income, adjusting for maternal region of birth, maternal age, body mass index, parity, and smoking. Results: Low income levels were associated with a higher risk for preeclampsia, adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99, 1.59) and aRR = 1.36 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.68) for the two lowest quintiles, respectively, compared to the highest. There was an educational gradient in preeclampsia risk, although not all categories reached statistical significance: aRR = 1.16, (95% CI: 0.89–1.50) for low educational attainment and aRR = 1.23 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.41) for intermediate educational attainment compared to women with highest education. The socio-economic gradient remained after adjusting for region of birth. There was a lower risk for preeclampsia for women born in Asia, aRR = 0.60 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.75), regardless of socio-economic position. Conclusion: An increased risk for preeclampsia was seen for women with measures of lower socio-economic position, even in a universal, government-funded healthcare setting. The relationship was not explained by region of birth, indicating that the excess risk is not due to ethnically differential genetic pre-disposition but rather due to modifiable factors.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mattsson, Kristina and Juárez, Sol and Malmqvist, Ebba}},
  issn         = {{1661-7827}},
  keywords     = {{immigrant health; preeclampsia; pregnancy health; region of birth; socio-economic factors}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}},
  title        = {{Influence of Socio-Economic Factors and Region of Birth on the Risk of Preeclampsia in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074080}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/ijerph19074080}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}