Psychosocial Factors and Preterm Birth Among African American and White Women in Central North Carolina
Nancy Dole, PhD,
David A. Savitz, PhD,
Anna Maria Siega-Riz, PhD, RD,
Irva Hertz-Picciotto, PhD,
Michael J. McMahon, MD, MPH and
Pierre Buekens, MD, PhD
At the time of the study, Nancy Dole, David A. Savitz, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, and Pierre Buekens were with the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Nancy Dole, David A. Savitz, and Irva Hertz-Picciotto also were with, and Michael J. McMahon was with, the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Anna Maria Siega-Riz and Pierre Buekens were also with the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Anna Maria Siega-Riz also was with the Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Michael J. McMahon also was with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Nancy Dole, PhD, Carolina Population Center, CB 8120, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8120 (e-mail: nancy_dole{at}unc.edu).
Objectives. We assessed associations between psychosocial factorsand preterm birth, stratified by race in a prospective cohortstudy.
Methods. We surveyed 1898 women who used university and publichealth prenatal clinics regarding various psychosocial factors.
Results. African Americans were at higher risk of preterm birthif they used distancing from problems as a coping mechanismor reported racial discrimination. Whites were at higher riskif they had high counts of negative life events or were notliving with a partner. The association of pregnancy-relatedanxiety with preterm birth weakened when medical comorbiditieswere taken into account. No association with preterm birth wasfound for depression, general social support, or church attendance.
Conclusions. Some associations between psychosocial variablesand preterm birth differed by race.
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