Katrīne Kūkoja

Mrs. Katrīne Kūkoja


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
17 May 2024 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KKKatrīne Kūkoja
Katrīne Kūkoja
AVAnita Villeruša
Anita Villeruša
IZIrisa Zīle-Velika
Irisa Zīle-Velika
Background and Objectives: Worldwide, preterm birth (PTB) stands as the primary cause of mortality among children under 5 years old. Socioeconomic factors significantly impact pregnancy outcomes, influencing both maternal well-being and newborn health. Understanding and addressing these socioeconomic factors is essential for developing effective public health interventions and policies aimed at improving pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to analyse the relationship between socioeconomic factors (education level, marital status, place of residence and nationality) and PTB in Latvia, considering mother’s health habits, health status, and pregnancy process. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Medical Birth Register (MBR) of Latvia about women with singleton pregnancies in 2022 (n = 15,431). Data analysis, involving crosstabs, chi-square tests, and multivariable binary logistic regression, was performed. Adjusted Odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Results: Lower maternal education was statistically significantly associated with increased odds of PTB. Mothers with education levels below secondary education had over two times higher odds of PTB (aOR = 2.07, p < 0.001, CI 1.58–2.70) and those with secondary or vocational secondary education had one and a half times higher odds (aOR = 1.58, p < 0.001, CI 1.33–1.87) after adjusting for other risk factors. Study results also showed the cumulative effect of socioeconomic risk factors on PTB. Additionally, mothers facing two or three socioeconomic risk factors in Latvia exhibited one and a half times higher odds of PTB (aOR = 1.59, p = 0.021). Conclusions: The study highlights the cumulative impact of socioeconomic risk factors on PTB, with higher maternal education demonstrating the highest protective effect against it. This underscores the importance of education in promoting optimal foetal development. Since the influence of socioeconomic factors on PTB is not a widely studied issue in Latvia, further research is needed to improve understanding of this complex topic.

1 December 2019 in Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KKKatrīne Kūkoja
Katrīne Kūkoja
The growing number of studies stresses the importance of social investment at an early age by showing that social investment at this period has the highest returns in human capital. The main instrument of social investment at an early age is high quality early childhood education and care services. The aim of the research was to identify whether the first signs of social investment return could be observed in Latvia, since statistic data showed that there was an expansion of early childhood education and care services over the last decades, especially for children until obligatory pre-school age. Research results showed that positive connection could be observed between pre-school attendance rate and fertility rate, female and overall employment rate, average earning, etc. However, no connection could be observed when it came to education outcomes in the short term. The author recommends conducting more research regarding service quality and investment return in the future.