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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

BMI mediates the association between low educational level and higher blood pressure during pregnancy in Japan

Authors: Seung Chik Jwa, Takeo Fujiwara, Akira Hata, Naoko Arata, Haruhiko Sago, Yukihiro Ohya

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

Research investigating the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and blood pressure (BP) during pregnancy is limited and its underlying pathway is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediators of the association between educational level as an indicator of the SES and BP in early and mid-pregnancy among Japanese women.

Methods

Nine hundred and twenty-three pregnant women in whom BP was measured before 16 weeks and at 20 weeks of gestation were enrolled in this study. Maternal educational levels were categorized into three groups: high (university or higher), mid (junior college), and low (junior high school, high school, or vocational training school).

Results

The low educational group had higher systolic (low vs. high, difference = 2.39 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59 to 4.19) and diastolic BP levels (low vs. high, difference = 0.74 mmHg, 95% CI: –0.52 to 1.99) in early pregnancy. However, the same associations were not found after adjustment for pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). BP reduction was observed in mid-pregnancy in all three educational groups and there was no association between educational level and pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Conclusion

In Japanese women, the low educational group showed higher BP during pregnancy than the mid or high educational groups. Pre-pregnancy BMI mediates the association between educational level and BP.
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Metadata
Title
BMI mediates the association between low educational level and higher blood pressure during pregnancy in Japan
Authors
Seung Chik Jwa
Takeo Fujiwara
Akira Hata
Naoko Arata
Haruhiko Sago
Yukihiro Ohya
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-389

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