Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39385866›Full record

ArticleCureus2024

The Strong Correlation Between Multiple Births and Preterm Birth Rates in Greece From 1991 to 2022.

Nikolaos Vlachadis, Dionysios N Vrachnis, Nikolaos Loukas, Nikolaos Antonakopoulos, Panagiotis Peitsidis, Marios Mamalis, Panagiotis Antsaklis, Marianna Theodora, George Daskalakis, Nikolaos Vrachnis

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Trends of Multiple Births in Iran from 2014 to 2023.Journal of reproduction & infertility · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Nikolaos VlachadisDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Hospital of Messinia, Kalamata, GRC.
Dionysios N VrachnisThird Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon Hospital, Athens, GRC.
Nikolaos LoukasDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tzaneio Hospital, Piraeus, GRC.
Nikolaos AntonakopoulosDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, GRC.
Panagiotis PeitsidisFifth Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Elena Venizelou Maternity Hospital, Athens, GRC.
Marios MamalisThird Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon Hospital, Athens, GRC.
Panagiotis AntsaklisFirst Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, GRC.
Marianna TheodoraFirst Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, GRC.
George DaskalakisFirst Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, GRC.
Nikolaos VrachnisThird Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon Hospital, Athens, GRC.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background This study aims to investigate the correlation between the rising preterm birth rate (PBR) in Greece from 1991 to 2022 and the incidence of multiple births. Methodology Official data on live births in Greece from 1991 to 2022 were sourced from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. The PBR, defined as the number of live births occurring at <37 gestational weeks, and the multiple birth rate (MBR), representing live births from multifetal gestations, were calculated per 100 total live births. The relationship between the PBR and the MBR was evaluated using the non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). This association was confirmed through linear regression models, with MBR as the independent variable and PBR as the dependent variable, calculating the beta coefficient (β) and the coefficient of determination (R-squared). Results A very strong direct positive correlation was identified between PBR and MBR throughout the study period, with a Spearman's rho of 0.950 (p < 0.001). This conclusion was further supported by the linear regression model, which yielded a β coefficient of 3.32 (95% confidence interval = 2.78 to 3.86, p < 0.001). The R-squared was 0.838, indicating that the change in MBR explained 83.8% of the rise in PBR. The strongest correlations were observed for moderate PBR (32-33 weeks) with a rho of 0.962 (p < 0.001) and late PBR (34-36 weeks) with a rho of 0.940 (p < 0.001). During the period of a steep increase in prematurity rates in the country (1991-2011), an almost perfect correlation between PBR and MBR (rho = 0.987, p < 0.001) was noted. However, in recent years (2011-2022), characterized by a marginal increase in PBR, this association diminished, with a rho of 0.655 (p = 0.021). Conclusions This analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the PBR and MBR in Greece from 1991 to 2022, underscoring the significant impact of multiple pregnancies on the substantial increase in preterm births within the Greek population.

Indexed as

greecemultiple birthsnational trendpreterm birthpreterm birth rate

Identifiers

PMID39385866
PMCPMC11462788

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.