{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T09:35:53Z","timestamp":1781516153099,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,1]],"date-time":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1730419200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100013229","name":"Glasgow Centre for Population Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100013229","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Hugely concerning changes to health outcomes have been observed in the UK since the early 2010s, including reductions in life expectancy and widening of inequalities. These have been attributed to UK Government \u2018austerity\u2019 policies which have profoundly affected poorer populations. Studies in mainland Europe have shown associations between austerity and increases in adverse birth outcomes such as low birthweight (LBW). The aim here was to establish whether the period of UK austerity was also associated with higher risks of such outcomes. We analysed all live births in Scotland between 1981 and 2019 (n\u2009=\u20092.3 million), examining outcomes of LBW, preterm birth (PB) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA). Descriptive trend analyses, segmented regression (to identify changes in trends) and logistic regression modelling (to compare risk of outcomes between time periods) were undertaken, stratified by infant sex and quintiles of socioeconomic deprivation. There were marked increases in LBW and PB rates in the austerity period, particularly in the most deprived areas. However, rates of SGA decreased, suggesting prematurity as the main driver of LBW rather than intrauterine growth restriction. The regression analyses confirmed these results: trends in LBW and PB changed within 1\u20133\u2009years of the period in which austerity was first implemented, and that period was associated with higher risk of such outcomes in adjusted models. The results add to the European evidence base of worsening birth outcomes associated with austerity-related economic adversity. The newly elected UK government needs to understand the causes of these changes, and the future implications for child and adult health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/eurpub\/ckae154","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,1]],"date-time":"2024-11-01T10:28:36Z","timestamp":1730456916000},"page":"1043-1051","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Is the period of austerity in the UK associated with increased rates of adverse birth outcomes?"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"34","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-7366-5890","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rachael","family":"Watson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health Scotland , Edinburgh,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3390-5039","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David","family":"Walsh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow , Glasgow G12 8TB,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-9071-7978","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sonya","family":"Scott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health Scotland , Edinburgh,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2777-6824","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jade","family":"Carruthers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health Scotland , Edinburgh,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1807-537X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lynda","family":"Fenton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health Scotland , Edinburgh,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6341-3521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gerry","family":"McCartney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow , Glasgow,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9634-3299","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emily","family":"Moore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health Scotland , Edinburgh,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B1","volume-title":"Resetting the Course for Population Health: Evidence and Recommendations to Address Stalled Mortality Improvements in Scotland and the Rest of the UK","author":"McCartney","year":"2022"},{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e641","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-2667(21)00110-9","article-title":"Local government funding and life expectancy in England: a longitudinal ecological study","volume":"6","author":"Alexiou","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet Public Health"},{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.1136\/jech-2023-220328","article-title":"Social security cuts and life expectancy: a longitudinal analysis of local authorities in England, Scotland, and Wales","volume":"78","author":"Seaman","journal-title":"J Epidemiol Commun Health"},{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B4","volume-title":"Psychological, Social and Biological Determinants of Ill Health (pSoBid) in Glasgow: A Cross-Sectional, Population-Based Study\u2014Final Study Report","author":"McLean","year":"2014"},{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e4933","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.e4933","article-title":"Association between psychological distress and mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies","volume":"345","author":"Russ","year":"2012","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1196\/annals.1441.030","article-title":"Chronic stress, drug use, and vulnerability to addiction","volume":"1141","author":"Sinha","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ann N Y Acad Sci"},{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1097\/GRF.0b013e31816f2709","article-title":"Psychosocial stress and pregnancy outcome","volume":"51","author":"Hobel","year":"2008","journal-title":"Clin Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"2024121102445044600_ckae154-B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0200594","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0200594","article-title":"Is the risk of low birth weight or preterm labor greater when maternal stress is experienced during pregnancy? 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