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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Phyllis D. Sims, MS, Research Office, Boston Public Health Commission, 1010 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02118, (617)534-2417, phyllis_sims@bphc.org

Background: Despite increased attention to identification of disparities in maternal health and birth outcomes for women of color, most data are still limited to broad racial/ethnic categories, such as Asian, Black (or African American), and Latino. This may mask important disparities in maternal risks such as age, education, or inadequate prenatal care and in poor birth outcomes such as low birthweight and prematurity. Purpose: 1) to identify disparities in selected maternal risks and birth outcomes among women of color within race/ethnicity by maternal birthplace, and 2) to analyze how such disparities differ within racial/ethnic categories Methods: Using a dataset of Boston birth certificates, 15 maternal birthplaces with an average of 50 or more births per year during 1999-2004 were identified. The 15 maternal birthplaces were stratified by Asian, Black, Latino, and White racial/ethnic categories to create cohorts. The cohorts were used in analyzing births for disparities among women of color. Results: Disparities for some women of color were even greater when data was analyzed within race/ethnicity by maternal birthplace. For example, the highest percentage of births with inadequate or no prenatal care by race/ethnicity was to Black women. Within that category, percentages were even higher for women born in Nigeria, Tobago, and Haiti. Conclusions: Analyzing maternal characteristics and birth outcomes within racial/ethnic categories by maternal birthplace can further identify disparities and provide additional data for use in shaping public health policies on eliminating disparities for diverse populations of women of color.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Discuss the importance of identifying disparities in maternal health and poor birth outcomes by collecting and analyzing data within racial/ethnic categories.
• Analyze the benefit to communities with diverse populations of having additional data for developing culturally appropriate public health interventions targeted to eliminating disparities for women of color.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Urban Women's Health Issues

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation