Effects of nutritional stress and socio-economic status on maternal mortality in six German villages, 1766–1863

Abstract

We examined the effects of nutritional stress on maternal mortality arising from short-term economic crises in eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century Germany, and how these effects might have been mitigated by socio-economic status. Historical data from six German villages were used to assess how socio-economic conditions and short-term economic crises following poor harvests may have affected maternal mortality. The results show that 1 year after an increase in grain prices the risk of maternal death increased significantly amongst the wives of those working outside the agricultural sector, and more so than for the wives of those working on farms. Nutritional crises seem to have had a significantly stronger impact on maternal mortality in the period 2–6 weeks after childbirth, when mothers were most prone to infections and indirect, obstetrical causes of maternal death. The findings indicate that both nutritional stress and socio-economic factors contributed to maternal mortality.

Keywords:

• maternal mortality
• historical demography
• socio-economic status
• economic stress
• grain prices
• maternal nutritional status

Notes

1. Francesco Scalone is at the Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Belle Arti, 41, Bologna, BO 40126, Italy. E-mail: [email protected]

2. An earlier draft of the paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Washington, DC, April 2011, and the pre-conference workshop ‘Longitudinal Analysis of Historical Demographic Data’ at the Social Science History Association, Chicago, November 2010. The author benefited from comments and suggestions by Julie DaVanzo, Roberto Impicciatore, and three anonymous referees. A special thanks to Ina Warriner.