I. Hyman et G. Dussault, THE EFFECT OF ACCULTURATION ON LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT IN IMMIGRANT WOMEN, Canadian journal of public health, 87(3), 1996, pp. 158-162
The interpretation of variations in perinatal morbidity by immigration
status has been difficult. Of particular concern is the lack of atten
tion to adaptive capacity. This study explores the effect of accultura
tion on term low birthweight (LBW) in five ethnic groups representing
different immigration experiences. Using Quebec birth certificates (19
79-1988), two birth cohorts were defined to control for the effects of
repeat pregnancies. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis were u
sed to examine the relationship between acculturation and term LBW. In
both birth cohorts the more acculturated women experienced significan
tly higher rates of term LBW. The odds ratio for term LBW (1.6) was al
so significantly higher for the more acculturated group but this effec
t was only observed in the second birth cohort. These findings imply t
hat in addition to other conventional factors, the level of acculturat
ion of the mother should be assessed in perinatal risk identification
systems.