PATH-ANALYSIS OF RISK-FACTORS LEADING TO PREMATURE BIRTH

The present study tested whether various sociodemographic, anthropomet ric, behavioral, and medical/physiological factors act in a direct or indirect manner on the risk of prematurity using path analysis on a sa mple of Israeli births. The path model shows that medical complication s, primarily toxemia, chorioammionitis, and a previous low birth weigh t delivery directly and significantly act on the risk of prematurity a s do low maternal pregnancy weight gain and ethnicity. Other medical c omplications, including chronic hypertension, preclampsia, and placent al abruption, although significantly correlated with prematurity, act indirectly on prematurity through toxemia. The model further shows tha t the commonly accepted sociodemographic, anthropometric, and behavior al risk factors act by modifying the development of medical complicati ons that lead to prematurity as opposed to having a direct effect on p remature delivery. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.