Table 2 Descriptive statistics across VPT/VLBW and term-born groups (pooled data from 10 cohortsa).

From: Socioeconomic outcomes in very preterm/very low birth weight adults: individual participant data meta-analysis

 

n (%) / M(SD)b

  
 

VPT/VLBW (n = 1378)

Term-borns (n = 1620)

χ2/Fb

p

Mean age at assessment (years)b

24.75 (4.09)

24.63 (3.31)

0.67

0.415

Sex

  

3.02

0.082

 Male

657 (47.7)

721 (44.5)

  

 Female

721 (52.3)

899 (55.5)

  

Ethnicity

  

27.04

<0.001

 White

964 (89%)

868 (95.4%)

  

 Non-white

119 (11%)

42 (4.6%)

  

Maternal educationc

  

121.77

<0.001

 Low (ISCED 0–2)

346 (28.4)

245 (16.3)

  

 Middle (ISCED 3–5)

638 (52.4)

701 (46.8)

  

 High (ISCED 6–8)

234 (19.2)

553 (36.9)

  

Gestational age (weeks)b

28.64 (2.8)

39.81 (1.2)

19121

<0.001

Birth weight (grams)b

1122 (318)

3534 (478)

24535

<0.001

Birth weight (z score)b

−0.33 (1.09)

0.01 (0.91)

81.92

<0.001

Head circumference (cm)

26.16 (2.56)

35.15 (1.40)

11831

<0.001

Multiple birth

 

327.19

<0.001

 Singleton

1037 (75.5)

1352 (98.7)

  

 Multiple

336 (24.5)

18 (1.3)

  

Neurosensory impairments

  

193.38

<0.001

 No

1188 (86.2)

1605 (99.1)

  

 Yes

216 (13.8)

15 (0.9)

  

Educational attainmentc

  

87.51

<0.001

 Low (ISCED 0–2)

222 (16.4)

129 (8.0)

  

 Middle (ISCED 3–5)

938 (69.3)

1080 (66.9)

  

 High (ISCED 6–8)

193 (14.3)

405 (25.1)

  

Economically active

  

2.49

0.114

 No

632 (47.7)

813 (50.6)

  

 Yes

694 (52.3)

794 (49.4)

  

Employment status

  

11.96

0.003

 In paid work

475 (44.1)

687 (45.5)

  

  Part-time

110 (24.2)

201 (30.7)

0.69

0.406

  Full-time

345 (75.8)

454 (69.3)

 Working hoursb

38.84 (10.4)

38.16 (7.8)

1.26

0.263

 In education

413 (38.4)

630 (41.8)

  

 Unemployed

188 (17.5)

191 (12.7)

  

Receipts of social benefits

  

55.91

<0.001

 No

540 (77.1)

497 (92.9)

  

 Yes

160 (22.9)

38 (7.1)

  

Independent living

  

33.29

<0.001

 No

579 (50.2)

577 (38.9)

  

 Yes

575 (49.8)

905 (61.1)

  
  1. Italicized values indicate subcategories of employment status under "In paid work."
  2. aThe POPS cohort was excluded in the group comparison analysis due to the lack of term-born control group.
  3. bThe descriptive statistics were mean and standard deviation, coefficients for group compositions were F tests.
  4. cMaternal education and participants’ educational attainment were harmonised based on the International Standard Classification of Education: “ISCED 0–2” = Low secondary or less; “ISCED 3–5” = Upper secondary or short post-secondary; “ISCED 6–8” = University education or equivalent.
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