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 has been awarded to Columbia University and to Northwestern University. 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. The study is reaching the end of the second year. Study instruments have been developed and piloted and recruitment of pregnant women into the study has commenced.
