Driver's licenses as a source of data on height and weight.

We investigated the feasibility of using driver's license records to obtain height and weight data of individuals. First, we linked Washington State driver's license records (DOL) to the state birth files to assess how well driver's licenses can be linked to a public health database. We were able to match 78.

The association of grandmaternal and maternal factors with maternal adult stature.

Background: Stature is an important determinant of several reproductive and non-reproductive health problems. Documentation of secular trends in stature has been based primarily on cross-sectional studies of special populations, primarily of men. The objective of this study is to determine how growth and socio-economic status (SES) factors relate to stature changes among lineal female relatives, maternal grandmothers to mothers.

The association of maternal growth and socio-economic measures with infant birthweight in four ethnic groups.

Background: Both maternal socio-economic status (SES) and growth measures are themselves interrelated and are also related to infant birthweight. The objective of this study is to compare the relative importance of such maternal measures as determinants of birthweight of female infants-the prospective mothers of the next generation.

Methods: The study base was derived from a population-based multiethnic intergenerational cohort: the Washington State Intergenerational Cohort.

Weight at birth and subsequent risk of preeclampsia as an adult.

Objective: We examined the influence of maternal birth weight on the risk of the development of preeclampsia, a likely precursor to adult chronic disease.

Study Design: This hospital-based case-control study included 181 preeclampsia cases and 349 control subjects. Participants provided information about their birth weight and other covariates that included medical and reproductive history, prepregnancy weight, and adult height.

Intimate partner violence and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a population-based study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of exposure to intimate partner violence during pregnancy and to determine whether such exposure is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Study Design: We measured the prevalence of exposure to intimate partner violence and fear of a partner during pregnancy among 4750 residents of Vancouver, British Columbia, who gave birth between January 1999 and December 2000. We undertook a multivariate analysis to examine the associations with second- or third-trimester hemorrhage, preterm labor and delivery, intrauterine growth restriction, and perinatal death.

Birthweight and risk of overall and cause-specific childhood mortality.

Early life events have important short- and long-term consequences. It is clear from previous studies that birthweight is associated with infant mortality and with childhood and adult morbidities. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between birthweight and childhood mortality.

Size-discordant twin pairs have higher perinatal mortality rates than nondiscordant pairs.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether size-discordant twin pairs have worse perinatal mortality and neonatal morbidity rates than nondiscordant pairs and whether the smaller twins of discordant pairs have worse perinatal outcomes than the larger twins.

Study Design: We conducted a population-based, retrospective analysis of linked birth certificates and fetal and infant death certificates for 9590 twin pairs who were born in the state of Washington from 1987 through 1999. The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test, Student t test, and McNemar test were among the tests used to assess statistical significance.