Table 1 Demographic characteristics of Indian-born mothers and Australian-born mothers living in Australia

Maternal BMI (pre-pregnancy, kg/m2)

23.1 (3.9)

25.6 (5.9)

 < 0.001

Proportion (%)

Proportion (%)

Maternal age

 < 0.001

15–24 years

6.7

8.4

25–29 years

38.1

25.9

30–34 years

40.3

35.3

35 + years

14.9

30.5

Higher qualifications

 < 0.001

Tertiary educated

80.8

36.5

Diploma/ Certificate

9.9

40.7

Year 12 / Year 11 equivalent

9.3

22.8

Socioeconomic disadvantaged (quintiles)

0.008

1st quintile (most disadvantaged)

18.3

12.6

2nd quintile

14.3

16.1

3rd quintile

24.2

21.5

4th quintile

23.8

22.4

5th quintile (most advantaged)

19.3

27.4

Income

 < 0.001

$156,000 or more

4.8

10.3

$88,400—$155,999

18.9

33.4

$52,000—$88,399

31.0

27.6

$26,000—$51,999

31.6

17.5

$25,999 or below

13.7

11.3

Smoking status pregnancy

 < 0.001

Smoking

0.4

8.9

Not smoking

99.6

91.1

Parity

 < 0.001

1 child

59.2

38.3

2 children

35.3

39.1

3 or more children

5.5

22.5

Spouse living in the house

Yes

96.8

92.2

0.001

No

3.2

7.8

Main language spoken English

Yes

19.6

100

 < 0.001

No

80.4

0.0