The Effect of Barometric Pressure and Weather Conditions on Preterm Labor In Expecting Women In South Carolina
School Name
Chapin High School
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Physiology and Health
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Each year, approximately 9.9% of babies in the United States are born prematurely at less than 37 weeks of gestation due to unknown reasons. From 2014 to 2016, the preterm birth rate rose 3%, and late preterm birth rates rose almost 4%. One source of preterm labor that has been examined in recent years is the correlation between meteorological phenomena, including barometric pressure, temperature, and precipitation, and preterm labor. In September of 2019, 322 recorded births from 2 South Carolina hospitals were gathered along with weather data on the given dates. The changes in temperature, barometric pressure, and precipitation for the day of each birth were calculated and placed with each individual. Simple linear regression analyses were used to determine the coefficient of correlation and statistical significance of individual factors. To examine the impact of multiple factors on preterm labor, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. The individual simple regression tests revealed no statistically significant correlations between the number of weeks early that labor occurred and changes in pressure, temperature, or precipitation. One multiple regression test revealed a p-value of 0.064, indicating that the relationship between the number of weeks early and the combination of changes in pressure and precipitation was statistically significant at the 10% level.
Recommended Citation
Fletcher, Allison, "The Effect of Barometric Pressure and Weather Conditions on Preterm Labor In Expecting Women In South Carolina" (2020). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 60.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2020/all/60
Location
Furman Hall 209
Start Date
3-28-2020 1:45 PM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
The Effect of Barometric Pressure and Weather Conditions on Preterm Labor In Expecting Women In South Carolina
Furman Hall 209
Each year, approximately 9.9% of babies in the United States are born prematurely at less than 37 weeks of gestation due to unknown reasons. From 2014 to 2016, the preterm birth rate rose 3%, and late preterm birth rates rose almost 4%. One source of preterm labor that has been examined in recent years is the correlation between meteorological phenomena, including barometric pressure, temperature, and precipitation, and preterm labor. In September of 2019, 322 recorded births from 2 South Carolina hospitals were gathered along with weather data on the given dates. The changes in temperature, barometric pressure, and precipitation for the day of each birth were calculated and placed with each individual. Simple linear regression analyses were used to determine the coefficient of correlation and statistical significance of individual factors. To examine the impact of multiple factors on preterm labor, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. The individual simple regression tests revealed no statistically significant correlations between the number of weeks early that labor occurred and changes in pressure, temperature, or precipitation. One multiple regression test revealed a p-value of 0.064, indicating that the relationship between the number of weeks early and the combination of changes in pressure and precipitation was statistically significant at the 10% level.
