The socioeconomic gradient in child health and noncognitive skills: Evidence from the Czech Republic.

We investigate the presence of a socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in children's health and noncognitive skill development, and its evolution with child age using cohort data from the Czech Republic. We show that family SES are positively associated with better child health. These effects start to emerge at age 3 and are persistent for all subsequent ages. We find a modest strengthening of the gradient as the children grow older. Similarly, at the lowest distribution of average family income, children lag in their noncognitive skills. We find evidence that children enter school with substantial differences in noncognitive skill endowments based on family SES. This correlation persists when controlling for poor health at birth, the roles of specific and chronic health problems, housing conditions, and partner characteristics. Maternal health status explains some of the association between family income and child noncognitive skills. We account for the endogeniety of SES and non-linearities in measures.

Predictive value of self-rated health in pregnancy for childbirth complications, adverse birth outcomes, and maternal health.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether self-rated health (SRH) in pregnancy can predict childbirth complications, adverse birth outcomes, and maternal health problems up to 3 years after delivery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of data obtained in a prospective longitudinal population-based birth cohort study. Pregnant women resident in the Brno or Znojmo regions in the Czech Republic were included if they were expected to deliver between March 1991 and June 1992. SRH data were collected between 1991 and 1995 via pen-and-paper questionnaires administered in mid-pregnancy, and at 6 months, 18 months, and 3 years after delivery. Medical records were reviewed for pregnancy complications, childbirth complications, and birth outcomes. Multivariate regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Overall, 4811 women were included. Better SRH in pregnancy predicted fewer childbirth complications (b=-0.03; P=0.036); lower odds of cesarean delivery (odds ratio 0.81; P=0.003); and fewer maternal health problems at 6 months (b=-0.32; P<0.001), 18 months (b=-0.28; P<0.001), and 3 years after delivery (b=-0.30; P<0.001). The effects of SRH were independent of diagnosed complications and self-reported health problems in pregnancy. CONCLUSION: SRH in pregnancy has predictive value for subsequent health outcomes, and might be an additional tool for assessment of pregnant women's health.