MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS FOR PREMATURITY IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

This study assessed the risk factors associated with preterm birth through a cross-sectional study in 4,440 newborns. Examined the factors associated between maternal sociodemographic variables (age, marital status, education and occupation), obstetric (pregnancy and delivery type and number of prenatal visits) and neonatal (sex, race/color, birth weight and Apgar). Data were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression technique. Among the 480 (10.8%) preterm risk factors were prevalent type of pregnancy (OR=6.48), number of prenatal visits (OR=2.09), Apgar score at first (OR=2.00) and fifth minute (OR=2.14) and birth weight (OR=31.8) indicating that these variables are directly associated with the occurrence of prematurity. The identification of risk factors should be the object of attention of health professionals and services to support effective measures to promote health to the general population; especially for women in fertile included some criteria of gestational risk.