Age-Parity and Marital Status Compositional Influences on the Maternal Mortality Rate in Canada, 1930-1969: A Regional Comparison

Abstract

Canadian regional maternal mortality rates were persistently high until 1939, then showed a declining trend. Advances in obstetrics contributed to the declining trend, but compositional influences also were important. Woman's mortality risk varied with her age, parity (previously delivered pregnancies), and marital status. Thus favourable change in mothers' age-parity distributions contributed up to 24 percent of the drop in regional rates between 1939 and 1965-1969. Similarly, differences in age-parity distributions explained up to 22 percent of regional differences in the maternal mortality rate. By constrast, change in mothers' marital status distributions had slight influence on regional trends and differences in the rate.