Talla de mujeres adultas gestantes en muestras de los sistemas de salud público y privado de Chile Height of pregnant women attended in the public and private health systems in Chile

Background: Adult height has increased around the world, especially in developed countries, probably due to the improvement in life conditions. Aim: To assess differences in women's height in two population samples of different socioeconomic status coming from the public and the private health system in Chile, and the influence of the year of birth on height. Material and methods: Data from 5,416 pregnant women attended in the public health system and 1,658 women attended in the private system, were analyzed. Among women attended in the private system, the association of maternal height with anthropometric indices of the newborn were also studied. Results: Mean height difference in the two systems reached 3,78 cm. The correlation coefficient of maternal height and year of birth was significant although weak in the two health systems, but mean height differences between decades of birth were significant only in the public sector: 0.7 and 1 cm in each of the two most recent decades. Association of maternal height was significant although weak, with both weight and height at birth, controlling for newborn's sex. Conclusions: Socioeconomic factors influence maternal height. Maternal height has an influence on fetal growth (Rev Méd Chile 2004; 132: 1483-8).