The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #51177

Paula Braveman, MD, MPH¹, Catherine Cubbin, PhD¹, Kristen S. Marchi, MPH¹, Susan Egerter, PhD¹, Mah-Jabeen Soobader, PhD², and Gilberto Chavez, MD, MPH³. (1) Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 500 Parnassus Avenue, MU-3 East, Box 0900, San Francisco, CA 94143-0900, 4154766839, pbrave@itsa.ucsf.edu, (2) School of Public Health, Dept of Society, Human Development & Health, Harvard University, Landmark Center, 401 Park Drive, Room 403-B, Boston, MA 02215, (3) Maternal and Child Health Branch, California Department of Health Services, 714 P Street, Room 476, Sacramento, CA 95814

There are wide health disparities between socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. Standard methods for public health monitoring currently used are not adequate to provide information needed to reduce the gaps. This effort aims to illustrate a comprehensive approach to monitoring social disparities using indicators of maternal and infant health (unintended pregnancy, delayed prenatal care, low birth weight, breastfeeding) from statewide-representative postpartum surveys linked with birth certificates and census data in California. We will (i) describe socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in the health indicators and how they change over time; (ii) ?explain? the trends in the disparities and their policy implications by using both qualitative and quantitative methods; and (iii) recommend practical methods for others to use for ongoing monitoring of social disparities in these and related indicators.

We will discuss challenges faced in conducting this effort that are likely to be widely experienced, such as: (1) developing conceptually and technically rigorous methods for summarizing the information on the magnitude of the disparities and how they change over time, in a fashion that will be readily understood by policy-makers and other non-technical audiences; (2) developing and implementing efficient approaches to qualitatively interpreting the policy implications of the observed patterns, guided by findings from quantitative analyses; and (3) measuring socioeconomic status/position at the individual and geographic area levels.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate a comprehensive approach to monitoring social disparities
• Identify challenges in monitoring social disparities

Keywords: Social Inequalities, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.