Father’s Education: An Independent Marker of Risk for Preterm Birth

To explore the association between paternal education and preterm birth, taking into account maternal social and economic factors. We analyzed data from a population-based cross-sectional postpartum survey, linked with birth certificates, of women who gave birth in California from 1999 through 2005 (n = 21,712). Women whose infants’ fathers had not completed college had significantly higher odds of preterm birth than women whose infants’ fathers were college graduates, even after adjusting for maternal education and family income [OR (95% CI) = 1.26 (1.01–1.58)]. The effect of paternal education was greater among unmarried women than among married women. Paternal education may represent an important indicator of risk for preterm birth, reflecting social and/or economic factors not measured by maternal education or family income. Researchers and policy makers committed to understanding and reducing socioeconomic disparities in birth outcomes should consider paternal as well as maternal socioeconomic factors in their analyses and policy decisions.