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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2007

Open Access 01-12-2007 | Research article

Are there differences in birth weight between neighbourhoods in a Nordic welfare state?

Authors: Eva Sellström, Göran Arnoldsson, Sven Bremberg, Anders Hjern

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2007

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Abstract

Background

The objective of this cohort study was to examine the effect on birth weight of living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in a Nordic welfare state. Birth weight is a health indicator known to be sensitive to political and welfare state conditions. No former studies on urban neighbourhood differences regarding mean birth weight have been carried out in a Nordic country.

Methods

A register based on individual data on children's birth weight and maternal risk factors was used. A neighbourhood characteristic, i.e. an aggregated measure on income was also included. Connections between individual- and neighbourhood-level determinants and the outcome were analysed using multi-level regression technique. The study covered six hundred and ninety-six neighbourhoods in the three major cities of Sweden, Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö, during 1992–2001. The majority of neighbourhoods had a population of 4 000–10 000 inhabitants. An average of 500 births per neighbourhood were analysed in this study.

Results

Differences in mean birth weight in Swedish urban neighbourhoods were minor. However, gestational length, parity and maternal smoking acted as modifiers of the neighbourhood effects. Most of the observed variation in mean birth weight was explained by individual risk factors.

Conclusion

Welfare institutions and benefits in Sweden might buffer against negative infant outcomes due to adverse structural organisation of urban neighbourhoods.
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Metadata
Title
Are there differences in birth weight between neighbourhoods in a Nordic welfare state?
Authors
Eva Sellström
Göran Arnoldsson
Sven Bremberg
Anders Hjern
Publication date
01-12-2007
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2007
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-267

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