BOSTON - New research by a University of California, San Francisco team looks at the behavioral, medical, and nutritional characteristics of Latina women and how they affect the risk of infant mortality.
The study was prompted by the observation of an "epidemiological paradox" of infant mortality in Latinos that has been documented for nearly 30 years: While Mexico-born Latina women have many risk factors associated with infant mortality, they have unexpectedly low rates of infant death.
Risk factors include, for example, less education and less insurance coverage, compared to other groups of women.
"The paradox has been attributed to various health and lifestyle factors but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Our study focused on how different variables might come together to create the paradox, and with this type of information we can develop educational, medical care, and support programs to maximize positive outcomes in both maternal and child health," said study director Elena Fuentes-Afflick, MD, MPH, UCSF assistant professor of pediatrics who treats patients at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.
Study findings were presented here today (May 14) at the joint meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The study was based on 1990-93 California birth certificate information. The researchers analyzed data on 1.5 million births to Mexican-born Latinas, U.S.-born Latinas, and U.S.-born White women.
The most significant findings were in the areas of behavior and health, according to Fuentes-Afflick. The Mexican-born women had lower rates of tobacco use and of medical complications compared to the other two groups. "This offers a partial explanation for the paradox, but we still need to understand how behavioral and medical factors interact with other socio-demographic characteristics," she said.
In addition, the researchers found that Mexican-born Latina women were 25 percent less likely to have an infant death than U.S.-born White women, "thus confirming the epidemiological paradox in Latinos in a recent sample of births," Fuentes-Afflick said.
Study co-investigator was Nancy Hessol, MSPH, an epidemiologist in the UCSF Department of Medicine.
In related research, Fuentes-Afflick and Hessol have looked at maternal age and the risk of low birth weight infants among Latinas. These study results will be presented at a session of the pediatrics meeting on Tuesday, May 16.
Both studies were funded by UC MEXUS, a University of California research unit that focuses on U.S.-Mexico issues and people of Mexican descent.
NOTE TO THE MEDIA: The joint meeting of Pediatric Academic Societies and the American Academy of Pediatrics will take place May 12-16 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. The Press Room phone is 617-954-2521. For assistance in reaching Dr. Elena Fuentes-Afflick, contact Corinna Kaarlela in the UCSF News Office at 415-476-3804.