A. Kaiser Study Data from the Kaiser-Permanente Birth Defects Study are being used to evaluate differences in birth weight and gestational age among four different ethnic groups. The ethnic groups included in the Kaiser study are Whites, Hispanics, Blacks and Asians. In addition to studies of ethnic differences, we have evaluated the effects of smoking and drinking during pregnancy on preterm births. B. Ethnic Differences in Lifestyle, Psychosocial Factors and Medical Care During Pregnancy. A Contract to obtain a quantifiable description of behavior and lifestyle differences among pregnant women of different ethnic groups which are known to differ in their rates of low birth weight is being developed. The overall goal of this project is to define previously undescribed risk factors affecting birth outcome from pregnant women in the following ethnic groups: American Blacks, Chinese, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Whites. The work scope of the contract includes development of an extensive questionnaire by a multidisciplinary team of experts, pretesting of the interview instruments, interviewing pregnant women from the five groups noted above, and preparing an edited data tape of all responses.
