Table 2

Descriptive statistics for birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm births by quartiles of traffic variables, land use, and median household income among all singleton births born in Eastern Massachusetts between 1996 and 2002

Continuous variables (quartiles)
Mean birth weight (SD)
Small for gestational age N (%)
Preterm birth N (%)
Comparison group (≥ 37 weeks; ≥ 2500 grams) N (%)


Cumulative traffic density/1000 (vehicles-km)








     ≤ 261.0
3469
(539)
9441
22.4
7187
21.7
89628
25.6
     > 261.0 – 704.6
3427
(526)
10398
24.7
8105
24.4
87756
25.0
     > 704.6 – 1602.0
3398
(564)
10944
26.0
8628
26.0
86674
24.7
     > 1602.0
3368
(569)
11256
26.7
9207
27.7
85785
24.5
     Missing (688)
3413
(560)
70
0.2
57
0.2
561
0.2









Distance to primary highways (meters)








     ≤ 1107
3398
(555)
11067
26.3
8460
25.5
86888
24.8
     > 1107 – 2150
3403
(565)
10741
25.5
8496
25.6
87196
24.9
     > 2150 – 3745
3413
(563)
10482
24.9
8422
25.4
87529
25.0
     > 3750
3448
(554)
9819
23.3
7806
23.5
88791
25.3









% land use for recreation and conservation (open space)








     ≤ 4.0
3363
(568)
11184
26.6
8905
26.8
81668
23.3
     > 4.0 – 9.4
3403
(567)
10861
25.8
8711
26.3
86966
24.8
     > 9.4 – 17.8
3447
(547)
9658
22.9
7182
21.6
85787
24.5
     > 17.8
3458
(546)
9210
21.9
7328
22.1
87770
25.0
     Missing (10470)
3319
(597)
1196
2.8
1058
3.2
8213
2.3









Median household income (in US $)








     ≤ 46336
3303
(581)
12853
30.5
10736
32.4
83081
23.7
     > 46336 – 62773
3406
(564)
10984
26.1
8405
25.3
86917
24.8
     > 62773 – 78583
3467
(547)
9778
23.2
7253
21.9
89304
25.5
     > 78583
3486
(526)
8494
20.2
6790
20.5
91102
26.0

N – number; SD – standard deviation

Zeka et al. Environmental Health 2008 7:60   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-60

Open Data