Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Birthweight and relationship with infant, child and adult mortality in the Jerusalem perinatal study

Y Friedlander1, O Paltiel, L Deutsch

  • 1Department of Social Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health, Jerusalem, Israel. yfried@vms.huji.ac.il

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
|November 25, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Lower birthweight is linked to higher mortality risk in young adult males. This study highlights the long-term health impacts of fetal development, emphasizing gender differences in mortality risk.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Perinatal Medicine

Background:

  • Chronic adult diseases may originate from fetal development events.
  • Understanding the long-term effects of birthweight on mortality is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between birthweight and all-cause mortality in young adults.
  • To explore potential gender differences in this association.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cohort study of 80,936 individuals born in Jerusalem between 1964-1976.
  • Utilized Cox-proportional hazard models for survival analysis over an average follow-up of 28.8 years.
  • Analyzed mortality risk across different birthweight categories and age groups, stratified by gender.

Main Results:

  • A significant inverse relationship was observed between birthweight and total mortality, primarily driven by infant deaths.
  • In males aged 15 and older, higher birthweight was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR=0.88 per 1 SD increase).
  • Mortality risk generally decreased with increasing birthweight categories in males; a non-significant J-shaped association was noted in females aged 15+.

Conclusions:

  • Birthweight is a significant predictor of mortality in young adult males, underscoring the long-term health consequences of intrauterine conditions.
  • Findings suggest that interventions promoting optimal fetal growth may have lasting benefits for adult health.
  • The study highlights the importance of considering gender-specific effects in perinatal health research and adult mortality risk.

More Related Videos

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts07:56

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts

Published on: January 29, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
Bias in Epidemiological Studies01:29

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:
Relative Risk01:12

Relative Risk

Relative risk (RR) is a statistical measure commonly used in epidemiology to compare the likelihood of a particular event occurring between two groups. This metric is important for evaluating the relationship between exposure to a specific risk factor and the probability of a particular outcome. It plays a crucial role in medical research, public health studies, and risk assessment. Relative risk quantifies how much more (or less) likely an event is to occur in an exposed group compared to an...
Longitudinal Studies01:26

Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
Life Tables01:22

Life Tables

A life table is a statistical tool that summarizes the mortality and survival patterns of a population, providing detailed insights into the likelihood of survival or death across different age intervals within a cohort. By organizing data on survival probabilities and mortality rates, life tables offer a clear snapshot of population dynamics over time. They are extensively used in demography, public health, actuarial science, and ecology to analyze life expectancy, design health interventions,...
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...