Question

Molino and Gwate assessed the effects of changes in the maternal age–parity distribution and age-and parity-specific low-birthweight rates on low-birthweight trends in the United States.The researchers used natality file data from 1980 through 2000 to assess very-low-birthweight and low-birthweight rates among singleton live-born infants. Changes in age-and parity-specific low-birthweight rates were the main contributor to the overall trend in rates. However, changes in the age-parity distribution, primarily delayed childbearing, had a smaller but noticeable impact. The very-low-birthweight rate increased 27% among Black women, and changes in the age-parity distribution were associated with, on average, more than 20% of the increased rate during the 1990s. Among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women, on average, more than 10% of the rate increase observed during the 1990s was associated with changes in the age-parity distribution. They concluded that assuming minimal changes in age-specific rates, delayed childbearing may play an increasingly important role in low-birthweight trends in the United States. In this study what is the dependent or the outcome variable?

parity

low birth weight

age

all the above

Answer 1

The age and parity are being used to determine low birth weight. Hence,

The dependent variable is low birth weight.

Option B is correct.