A contract to characterize behavior and lifestyle differences among pregnant women of different ethnic groups which are known to differ in their rates of low birth weight has been awarded to Columbia University and to Northwestern University. The overall goal of this project is to define risk factors affecting birth outcomes in pregnant women in the following ethnic groups: American Blacks, Chinese, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Whites. The work scope of the contract includes development of an extensive questionnaire by a multi-disciplinary team of experts, pretesting of the interview instruments, interviewing pregnant women from the six groups noted above, ascertaining birth outcomes, and preparing an edited data tape of all responses.
