Abstract

Assessing the impact of ignoring pre-pregnancy obesity in the expenditure of MCH title v grants on preterm and cesarean deliveries

Prachi Joshi, MPA and Samuel Opoku, MBChB, PhD
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

APHA 2021 Annual Meeting and Expo

Background and Objective: Pre-pregnancy obesity is commonly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes like cesarean deliveries and preterm birth rates. Cesarean deliveries are associated with excessive bleeding, which is a common cause of maternal mortality. Preterm births may lead to physical and psychological disorders in children. This study aims to highlight the prevalence of pre-pregnancy obesity and examine the potential impact of ignoring pre-pregnancy obesity in the expenditure of MCH title V Grants on preterm and cesarean deliveries. Method: statewise secondary data was collected for pre-pregnancy obesity rates from the NCHS website. Preterm and cesarean birth rates were calculated from CDC database. Statewise percentage increase in pre-pregnancy obesity from 2016 to 2019 was grouped into four categories: 1) 14% and over, 2) between 10% to 13.9%, 3) less than 10%, and 4) no significant change. SAS software was used for regression analysis to find association between pre-pregnancy obesity and preterm and cesarean births. Results: Pre-pregnancy obesity is significantly associated with preterm (P < 0.0001) and cesarean births (P < 0.0064). On average, there has been an increase in pre-pregnancy obesity from 2016 to 2019 in each cluster. However, on comparing the pre-pregnancy obesity clusters, there is no significant difference in the average spending of title V grants. Conclusion: Pre-pregnancy obesity has adverse maternal and infant health outcomes, and there is an urgent need to address this issue. State governments must consider pre-pregnancy obesity as a public health concern and divert a portion of Title V MCH grant funds to address the issue.

Provision of health care to the public Public health administration or related administration Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines Public health or related public policy Public health or related research