Adverse birth outcomes among Korean women compared to white women in the United States.

To evaluate the risk of adverse birth outcomes among US- and foreign-born Korean women compared to US-born white women, we used the 2004 US natality file to assess the risk of low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery (PTD), and cesarean delivery (CD) among US-born (N = 943) and foreign-born Koreans (N = 11,974) compared to white women (N = 25,834). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using regression models to assess the risk of these outcomes. US-born (aOR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.43-1.02) and foreign-born Korean women (aOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.70-1.06) exhibited a lowered risk of LBW than white women, although not statistically significant. The risks of PTD and CD among Korean women were similar to white women, regardless of Korean women's nativity status. Future research should focus on identifying the cultural factors and practices associated with decreased risk of LBW among Korean women.