Highlights
- •Early and adequate prenatal care reduces preterm birth rates for low-income women.
- •In Sacramento County, low-income Black women use prenatal care more than White women.
- •Low-income Black women still have higher rates of preterm birth.
- •Access to prenatal care is insufficient to reduce preterm birth racial disparities.
- •Comprehensive, multidimensional health interventions may improve racial equity.
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the effectiveness of early and adequate prenatal care (PNC) in reducing
racial disparities in pre-term birth (PTB) among low-income women.
Design and methods
This retrospective study examined birth records for 14,950 low-income Black and White
women. The primary outcome of interest was racial disparities in PTB. Exposures of
interest were first trimester entry into, and adequacy of, PNC. Maternal residential
proximity to nearest PNC provider was calculated. Bivariate analyses were performed
for PTB by race. Binary logistic regression was performed, controlling for maternal
age, smoking status and racial segregation. Attributable risk of PTB for no or late
entry into PNC, and percent difference by race was calculated.
Results
We find that early and adequate PNC significantly decreases the risk of preterm birth,
however, we find no evidence that this reduces racial disparities. Low income black
females in a large metropolitan county have greater geographic access to and utilization
of PNC than low-income white females, yet racial disparities in preterm birth remain.
Attributable risk of PTB for no or late entry into PNC was lower for Black women (32.2%)
than White women (39.4%).
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that adequate PNC alone does not reduce the marked racial disparities
in preterm birth.
Practice implications
Public health agencies and health care providers need to look beyond access to care,
to achieve racial equity in birth outcomes. Expansion of evidence-based, comprehensive
nursing interventions shown to reduce preterm birth, such as the Nurse Family Partnership
home visiting program, could contribute to these efforts.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 12, 2021
Accepted:
January 14,
2021
Received in revised form:
January 11,
2021
Received:
October 5,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
