Birth-to-pregnancy intervals and adverse perinatal outcomes among African-born black women in Washington State.

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06Background: Short birth-to-pregnancy (BTP) intervals are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. The number of African-born blacks currently living in the U.S. exceeds 1.6 million. However, little is known about BTP intervals and the risk factors and outcomes related to short BTP intervals among African-born women living in the U.S. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: (1) Investigate risk of short BTP and BTP-related risk factors and perinatal outcomes among African-born black women in Washington State, and (2) evaluate whether short BTP intervals modify the relationship between maternal birth country and race and perinatal outcomes among African-born black, U.S.-born white, and U.S.-born black women. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using data from linked birth certificate and hospital discharge records for 18,984 consecutive, singleton birth pairs to African-born black (n=3,312), U.S.-born white (n=7,839) and U.S.-born black women (n=7,833) in Washington State from 1992-2013. Short BTP interval was defined as