Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115533

Masako Tanaka, MPH, Gundegmaa Jaamaa, MD, MPH, Michelle Kaiser, Elaine Hills, MA, Aida Soim, MD, Motao Zhu, MD, MS, Ivan Y. Shcherbatykh, MD, MPH, Renee Samelson, MD, Erin Bell, PhD, Michael Zdeb, MS, and Louise-Anne McNutt, PhD. School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, 518-402-0372, masakot22@yahoo.com

Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy are the second leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States and are significant contributors to neonatal morbidity and mortality. Objectives: To study trends of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by residential socio-economic status (SES) and race/ethnic subgroups across New York State (NYS). Methods: NYS hospitalizations with delivery for 1993-2002 (2.5 million) were merged with 2000 U.S. Census data. Results: Rates of diagnoses for all hypertensive disorders combined and pre-eclampsia individually were highest among Black women across all regions and neighborhood poverty levels. Although hospitalization rates of pre-eclampsia decreased over time, differences in rates between White and Black women increased over the ten-year period. For the period 1993 - 1996, the difference in pre-eclampsia rates in NYC for 20 - 34 year old non-diabetics was 1.2% (Black (3.2%) and White (2.0%)). While for 1999 - 2002, the difference increased to 1.7% (3.4% vs. 1.7%, respectively). Similar disparity trends were seen outside NYC and for all hypertension disorders combined. The proportion of women living in poor areas remained relatively constant over the same period. Minority women were more likely to have diabetes and at higher risk of pre-eclampsia; pre-eclampsia was higher in minority women both with and without diabetes. Conclusion: An increasing trend of racial disparity in maternal hypertension rates occurred in NYS during the past decade. This trend was persistent after stratifying on SES and other risk factors. Additional research is needed to understand the contributing factors for this growing disparity.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. List the risk factors associated with increased rates of maternal hypertensive disorders.
• 2. Describe the trend of race/ethnic disparity in maternal hypertentions in the past decade, and identify at risk subgroups in New York State.
• 3. Develop the future population study that will assess the other contributing factors for increasing race/ethnic disparity.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.