Table 2.
Characteristics of mother-child dyads in the Boston Birth Cohort by the two linked study protocols: Preterm Birth Study and Children’s Health Study.
| Preterm Birth Study | Children’s Health Study | |
|---|---|---|
| N* | 8623 mother/infant dyads | 3394 children |
| Maternal characteristics at delivery | ||
| Maternal age, years | 28 (23–33) | 28 (23–33) |
| Null parity, % | 43 | 43 |
| Asian American Pacific Islander,%* | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| African American and non-Hispanic Black, %* | 32.5 | 39 |
| Cabo Verdean, %* | 4.3 | 4.9 |
| Haitian, %* | 14.9 | 19.8 |
| Hispanic, %* | 28.3 | 22 |
| Multiethnic, %* | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Non-hispanic White %* | 11.9 | 7.4 |
| Did not identify race or ethnicity, %* | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| Education (college or above), % | 36 | 36 |
| Married, % | 35 | 33 |
| US born, % | 38 | 39 |
| High stress during pregnancy, % | 19 | 19 |
| Smoking during pregnancy, % | 19 | 18 |
| Alcohol consumption, % | 9 | 8 |
| Prepregnancy overweight or obesity, % | 48 | 52 |
| Pre- or gestational diabetes, % | 11 | 12 |
| Cesarean section, % | 33 | 36 |
| Age at menarche, years | 13 (12–14) | 13 (12–14) |
| Child characteristics | ||
| Child age, years | – | 14 (12–18) |
| Boy, % | 50 | 50 |
| Preterm birth (<37 weeks), % | 27 | 29 |
| Low birthweight (<2500 g), % | 26 | 28 |
Data are presented as % or median (interquartile range).
*N represents the complete cleaned dataset used for current analysis and not total accrual.
*Self-reported maternal race and ethnicity were defined as a socially constructed identity, not a biological or genetic category.