Florida Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screenings in Alachua and Marion Counties

The Florida Healthy Start program is a state-wide program that assists women in having healthier pregnancies and birth outcomes. The program offers prenatal risk screenings to identify possible risks to the mother and baby. These screenings are mandated by state legislation to be completed at the woman's first prenatal office visit. Of the estimated 10,465 pregnant women who received care in any of the 12 counties under the jurisdiction of the North Central Florida Healthy Start Coalition in 2006, only 67% consented to having a Healthy Start prenatal risk screening performed. Since the Healthy Start program began in 1991, the state of Florida's infant mortality rates have steadily decreased overall, whereas in North Central Florida, the rates have not been as consistently low. The most recent infant mortality rate for North Central Florida was 9.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006 (compared to the state rate of 7.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births).

The purpose of this study was to determine reasons Healthy Start prenatal risk screenings rates are not as high in a sample from the North Central Florida Healthy Start Coalition (specifically Alachua and Marion counties) compared to the state of Florida. An additional objective was to offer prenatal care providers training sessions about both the Healthy Start program and how to properly conduct a prenatal risk screening. The underlying assumption of the study was that by teaching providers about the program in general, more providers will be able to properly explain the benefit of the program, and more women will consent to the screening.