
HPQ Risk: Demographic Factors
A number of demographics factors are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and other related complications and are included in HPQ.
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This includes:
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More detail regarding each of these factors is included below.
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The HPQ does not include all known risk factors for preterm birth and other pregnancy complications. It is critical to be working with a health provider to create a personalized care plan for your own pregnancy that considers factors in and not considered by the HPQ.
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If you have note read our note about Social Determinants of Health and "Mother/Mommy Blaming" please do so.
All of the factors listed and associated risk for preterm birth and other outcomes have potent links to social determinants of health. In no instance should these factors be considered as existing independently of social context. Guilt or shaming plays no role in what we do or in the information we share. We are about strength and empowerment of pregnant people and parents through information sharing.
Expected age at delivery less than 18-years of age

Expected age at delivery at less than 18-years of age is often shown to be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and some other complications of pregnancy.
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While it is not well understood why individuals with an expected age of delivery less than 18-years are sometimes at increased risk for a preterm birth, it is thought that in some cases, this risk may be more closely related to social factors rather than biologic factors.
While data is lacking on how specific interventions may help reduce the risk of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes in pregnant people who are less than 18-years of age, it is important to be aware that whether or not you have other risk factors present or absent will greatly affect your overall risk. Being aware of and managing those risks is important. The HPQ can help you identify these factors. Our Healthy Pregnancy Planning tool may also be a helpful for outlining how you want to manage your pregnancy in partnership with your prenatal provider.
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If present and associated with an increased risk for preterm birth in your race/ethnicity and insurance grouping, this factor will be included in your overall HPQ score. This and other factors affecting your preterm birth risk should be discussed with your prenatal provider.
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If you will be less than 18-years of age at the time of your delivery creating a Healthy Pregnancy Plan through EGG HP can help you create a plan for managing your risk and talking about your results with your provider.
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Related links -
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- Publications by EGG HP and investigators related to being less than 18 years of age at the time of delivery and risk scoring:​
- Pre-pregnancy or first-trimester risk scoring to identify women at high risk of preterm birth
- Replication of pre-pregnancy or first-trimester risk scoring to identify women at high risk of preterm birth
- Other related publications:
Expected age at delivery more than 34-years of age

Being more than 34-years of age at delivery is consistently reported as a risk factor for preterm birth.
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Of note, data suggests that the association between increased risk for preterm birth in those over 34-years of age can differ greatly depending how much older than 34-years of age you are. It is important to be working with a prenatal provider to discuss how these factors relate to your own pregnancy.
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While it is not well understood why individuals who are more than 34-years of age at the time of delivery are at increased risk of preterm birth, some data suggests that this may be related to earlier inductions of labor due to the presence of other risk factors. There are also some changes to the uterus and endocrine systems that occur with age that have been suggested to play a role.
While data is lacking on how specific interventions may help reduce the risk of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes in pregnant people with an age at delivery above 34-years, it is important to be aware that whether or not you have other risk factors present or absent will greatly affect your overall risk. Being aware of and managing those risks is important. The HPQ can help you identify these factors. Our Healthy Pregnancy Planning tool may also be a helpful for outlining how you want to manage your pregnancy in partnership with your prenatal provider.
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For pregnant people with an age at above 34-years, low dose aspirin is a recommended treatment to reduce your risk of preeclampsia and related conditions like preterm birth when accompanied by other "moderate" risk factors (see our overview about recommendations for low-dose aspirin use here).
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If you will be more than 34-years if birth at the time of expected delivery then this factor will be included in your overall HPQ score. This and other factors affecting your preterm birth risk should be discussed with your prenatal provider.
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If you are completing a HELLO EGG Healthy Pregnancy Plan and will be more than 34-years of age at the time of expected delivery, it will be important to note how you plan to manage and address this risk with your provider.
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Related links -
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- Publications by EGG HP and investigators related to age at delivery more than 34-years and risk scoring:​
- Pre-pregnancy or first-trimester risk scoring to identify women at high risk of preterm birth
- Replication of pre-pregnancy or first-trimester risk scoring to identify women at high risk of preterm birth
Less than 12-years of education

Having less than 12-years of education is often reported as a risk factor for preterm birth.
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While it is not well understood why some individuals with less than 12-years of education are at increased risk for preterm birth, it is mostly believed that this risk is related to other factors that can sometimes co-occur with having less eduction like having fewer resources, less optimal health care, and experiencing higher levels of stress.
While data is lacking on how specific interventions may help reduce the risk of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes in pregnant people with less than 12-years of education, it is important to be aware that whether or not you have other risk factors present or absent will greatly affect your overall risk. Being aware of and managing those risks is important. The HPQ can help you identify these factors. Our Healthy Pregnancy Planning tool may also be a helpful for outlining how you want to manage your pregnancy in partnership with your prenatal provider.
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For some pregnant people, including, for example, low income people (a factor which is sometimes closely associated with less than 12-years of education), low dose aspirin is a recommended treatment to reduce the risk of preeclampsia and related conditions like preterm birth when accompanied by other "moderate" risk factors (see our overview about recommendations for low-dose aspirin use here).
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If you have less than 12-years of education at the time of expected delivery then this factor will be included in your overall HPQ score. This and other factors affecting your preterm birth risk should be discussed with your prenatal provider.
​
If you are completing a HELLO EGG Healthy Pregnancy Plan and have less than 12-years of education, it will be important to note how you plan to manage and address this risk with your provider.
​
Related links -
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- Publications by EGG HP and investigators related to years of education and risk scoring:​
- Pre-pregnancy or first-trimester risk scoring to identify women at high risk of preterm birth
- Replication of pre-pregnancy or first-trimester risk scoring to identify women at high risk of preterm birth
​Read More -
Aspirin Use to Address Risk
HPQ Risk: Pregnancy History
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HPQ Risk: Current Health and Diagnoses - ​
​Weight, Diabetes, and Hypertension
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Other Conditions and Infection
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Wellness and Care
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Exposures