Nancy Krieger
Women and social class: a methodological study comparing individual, household, and census measures as predictors of black/white differences in reproductive history.
University of California, Berkeley
aim compare four different measures womens social class interview census based predictors well known social gradients reproductive outcomes intent address two obstacles confront research united states regarding social gradients womens health womens social class measured absence socioeconomic data health recordsthe study retrospective cohort analysis using community based random sample settingalameda county california 198751 black 50 white women ages 20 80 years identified random digit dialling interviewed telephonecensus data linked individual records via respondents addresses using number full term pregnancies example multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated individual class significantly associated outcome whereas household class women nonworkingclass households 08 fewer pregnancies women working class households 95 confidence interval ci 14 01 block group measure functioned like household class measure beta 07 95 ci 14 01 census tract measure nonsignificant beta 04 95 ci 12 04 similar results obtained outcomes age first full term pregnancy percent early terminated pregnancies yearly incomethese results suggest block group data may offer uniform source social class information appended individual health records strategy invalidated concerns regarding ecological fallacy