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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Patterns of Preterm Birth among Women of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Descent
Molly R Altman1,2, Rebecca J Baer2,3, Laura L Jelliffe-Pawlowski2,4
1Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, Washington.
Objective:
To describe the characteristics and risk factors for preterm birth in Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women.
Study Design:
Retrospective cohort study of 10,470 women of Hawaiian or Pacific Islander descent drawn from a population-based birth cohort dataset in California. Variables were examined across preterm birth subtype (spontaneous, provider initiated) and by gestational age grouping (early preterm birth and late preterm birth) and all preterm births.
Results:
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women were at higher risk for preterm birth when they had fewer than three prenatal visits; were underweight, reported tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs use in pregnancy; had a diagnosis of anemia, gestational diabetes, preexisting diabetes, or hypertension with or without pre-eclampsia; or had a history of previous preterm birth. Obesity was found to be protective for preterm birth.
Conclusion:
Women of Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent demonstrate a similar yet unique constellation of risk and protective factors for preterm birth as compared with other groups at high risk for preterm birth. Interventions aimed to prevent preterm birth need to support the specific needs of this population.
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