2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

334751
Public Health Impacts Associated with Changing Birth Trends in Los Angeles County Since 1990


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Louise rollin-Alamillo, MS, los angeles county department of public health, los angeles, CA
Alex Ho, MD, MPH, Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County, Los Angles, CA
Margaret Shih, MD, PhD
Douglas M. Frye, MD, MPH, HIV Epidemiology Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
background: Changing birth rates can have significant population health impacts. This overview characterizes birth rate trends from 1990 to 2012 in Los Angeles County (LAC) and assesses the likely health impacts of these changing rates.

methods: Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and age-specific birth rate trends were calculated using numerators based on a subset of 1.65 million births from women of childbearing ages (10-54 years) recorded in the California Birth Statistical Master File (BSMF). Adverse birth and maternal outcomes were also derived.

results: The TFR for LAC dropped precipitously from 1990 to 2010, from 2.7 to 1.8 births, below that of both California and the US (1.9 each). During the same period, age-specific birth rates decreased for all maternal age groups between the ages of 15-34, but increased for women aged 35-49 years.  The percentage of older women (age 40-44 years) delivering prematurely was 14% compared with 10% for women age 30-34 years. Among older women, 11% delivered low weight babies compared with 7% of women 30-34 years. The percentages of older women developing gestational diabetes and preeclampsia were 74% and 64% higher than for women age 30-34 years..

conclusions: Since 1990, LAC has experienced dramatic changes in birth trends. While there has been a steep drop in birth rates among younger women, births to older women have been gradually increasing, along with their concomitant health risks. Policymakers’ recognition of these trends and their possible health impacts are stressed.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Describe birth rate trends since 1990 in Los Angeles County (LAC). List possible health impacts resulting from these changes.

Keyword(s): Maternal and Child Health, Birth Outcomes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been reporting on mortality and birth trends of Los Angeles County residents for the pasts 10 years. More recently, I have been looking at demographic changes in the population, with special focus on changing birth trends.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4148.0: Improving Birth Outcomes: Identifying health disparities, promoting health equity