This is a case-control study aimed to investigate the association between preterm birth and level of social support, according to socioeconomic, demographic and health-related assistance and, in a population of low-income mothers attending a public hospital the city of Rio de Janeiro. We interviewed 108 cases and 228 controls, totaling 336 women. The women's ages ranged from 14 to 45 years. The mean age was 25.8 years (standard deviation: 6.9) for cases and 24.9 (standard deviation 6.5) for controls. Regarding race/ethnicity self-reported 77.1% called themselves as nonwhite. Women, 68.8% began prenatal care before the third quarter. The number of visits during the prenatal period, occurrence of threatened preterm delivery and previous history of prematurity were associated with the level of support, calculated from the total score of the dimensions of social support.
Social support; Premature birth; Maternal and child health
