A Geospatial and Temporal Retrospective Analysis of Perinatal Outcomes in Chile from 1993 - 2018
Name: William (Conor) Rork
School: Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Class of 2026; Varmus Global Scholar 2023
Mentors: Estela Blanco, PhD, MPH, MA and Carly Hutchinson, PhD
Abstract
Research Question: Did geospatial demographic differences at the Chilean regional level affect changes in perinatal outcomes from 1993 – 2018?
Background: Preterm birth and its sequelae are the leading cause of death in children under five, while more than 80% of newborn deaths occur in low birthweight infants; the current literature shows that preterm births continue to occur at increasing rates globally, driving adverse developmental outcomes. Previous research on perinatal health in Chile indicated that temporal changes in maternal demographic factors may be driving increases in preterm births at the country-level. Little is known, however, about how these factors and others, including paternal factors, differ and influence perinatal outcomes across Chilean regions.
Methods: Chilean birth records from 1993 – 2018 were obtained from the Department of Statistics and Health Information. After excluding incomplete and improbable data, 5,564,930 birth records were included in the final analysis. Researchers analyzed both maternal and paternal demographic factors (age, civil status, employment, educational level), geographic factors (urban/rural, hospital/home birth), and birth factors (multiplicity, weight, gestational age).
Results: Preliminary results indicate differences in maternal and paternal demographic factors at the regional level, particularly in age, educational attainment, and employment; differences also appear in rates of preterm birth and low birthweight births.
Conclusions: While this study has limitations due to its nature as a secondary analysis, novel exploratory findings indicating regional differences in perinatal outcomes and risk factors in Chile indicate the need for further investigation and may aid in the development of regional-level interventions to address disparities.