College of Health

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between preterm and low-birth-weight (PTLBW) delivery and maternal occupation among Latina women in California. METHODS: A cohort of 1024 Latina women in Stockton, California, was observed from baseline to delivery. The association between PTLBW delivery and maternal occupation (farmwork, nonfarmwork, no work) was analyzed using multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics varied widely between the three occupation groups. The adjusted odds ratio of a PTLBW delivery for farmworkers compared with women who did not work was 1.28 (95% CI, 0.65 to 2.54). CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe a statistically significant association between PTLBW delivery and farmwork in this population. Nevertheless, the relationship between acculturation and risky health behaviors suggests that studies investigating the association between maternal employment and adverse pregnancy outcomes among Latinas need to account for a participant's acculturation status.