Post-term pregnancy and associated social factors among pregnant women in Jiaxing city, China, 1993 to 2000 / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To understand the status of post-term pregnancy and associated social factors among pregnant women in Jiaxing city, from 1993 to 2000. Methods The study population consisted of 16 033 women who had delivered singleton live births in Jiaxing city, Zhejiang province, from 1993 to 2000. Chi-square test was employed to test the difference of proportions between respective groups. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors associated with post-term pregnancy. Results The incidence rates of post-term pregnancy were 8.7%, 10.6%, 9.4%, 7.4%, 4.3%, 2.6%, 3.3% and 4.0% from 1993 to 2000, respectively. Women who received premarital health care serviees had lower (5.6%) post-term incidence than those who did not (7.8%). Women who received county or above level health care services had lower (4.3%) post-term incidence than women who receive township level service (8.5%). Women who had primary school education had higher (11.5%) post-term incidence than women who received junior higher school education (6.8%), senior high school education (3.8%), or college education (2.9%), (P< 0.001). Farmers had higher (9.5%) post-term incidence than workers in the rural areas (8.9%), in urban areas (4.3%) or women with other professions (4.2%). Women whose husbands were rural workers had higher (9.8%) post-term incidence than farmers (9.4%), urban workers (5.0%)or with other professions (3.6%, P<0.001). Data from multivariate logistic regression showed that the risk of post-term pregnancy was associated with the length and the level of using health care services together with schooling and occupation. Conclusion The incidence of post-term pregnancy was decreasing in Jiaxing city during the period from 1993 to 2000 and the risk was associated with the length and level of health care service as well as the level of education and occupation of those women.