Risk factors and pregnancy outcomes vary among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander individuals giving birth in California

Socioeconomic disadvantage and racial/ethnic disparities in low-risk cesarean birth in California

Our objective was to assess the relationship of socioeconomic disadvantage and race/ethnicity with low-risk cesarean birth. We examined birth certificates (2007-2018) linked with maternal hospitalization data from California; the outcome was cesarean birth among low-risk deliveries (ie, nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex [NTSV]). We used generalized estimation equation Poisson regression with an interaction term for race/ethnicity (n = 7 groups) and a measure of socioeconomic disadvantage (census tract-level neighborhood deprivation index, education, or insurance). Among 1 815 933 NTSV births, 26.6% were by cesarean section. When assessing the joint effect of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic disadvantage among low-risk births, risk of cesarean birth increased with socioeconomic disadvantage for most racial/ethnic groups, and disadvantaged Black individuals had the highest risks. For example, Black individuals with a high school education or less had a risk ratio of 1.49 (95% CI, 1.45-1.53) relative to White individuals with a college degree. The disparity in risk of cesarean birth between Black and White individuals was observed across all strata of socioeconomic disadvantage. Asian American and Hispanic individuals had higher risks than White individuals at lower socioeconomic disadvantage; this disparity was not observed at higher levels of disadvantage. Black individuals have a persistent, elevated risk of cesarean birth relative to White individuals, regardless of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cervical Insufficiency, Cervical Cerclage, and Preterm Birth

Background: The frequency of cervical insufficiency differs among the major racial and ethnic groups, with limited data specific to Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) subpopulations. We assessed cervical insufficiency diagnoses and related outcomes across 10 racial and ethnic groups, including disaggregated AANHPI subgroups, in a large population-based cohort. Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all singleton births between 20-42 weeks' gestation in California from 2007 to 2018. Logistic regression models were performed to estimate the odds of cervical insufficiency and, among people with cervical insufficiency, the odds of cerclage and preterm birth according to self-reported race and ethnicity. Results: Among 5,114,470 births, 38,605 (0.8%) had a diagnosis code for cervical insufficiency. Compared with non-Hispanic White people, non-Hispanic Black people had the highest odds of cervical insufficiency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.97, 3.18), for cerclage placement and higher odds for preterm birth. Disaggregating AANHPI subgroups showed that Indian people had the highest odds (aOR 1.94; 95% CI, 1.82, 2.07) of cervical insufficiency and had significantly higher odds of cerclage without increased odds of preterm birth; Southeast Asian people had the highest odds of preterm birth. Conclusion: Within a large, diverse population-based cohort, non-Hispanic Black people experienced the highest rates of cervical insufficiency, and among those with cervical insufficiency, had among the highest rates of cerclage and preterm birth. Among AANHPI subgroups specifically, Indian people had the highest rates of cervical insufficiency and cerclage placement, without increased rates of preterm birth; Southeast Asian people had the highest rates of preterm birth, without increased rates of cerclage. Disaggregating AANHPI subgroups identifies important differences in obstetric risk factors and outcomes.

Factors Associated With First-Trimester Prenatal Care Initiation In The United States: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

First-trimester prenatal care is an important component of quality care during pregnancy and is associated with improved perinatal outcomes. Despite its importance, many pregnant people delay prenatal care initiation or receive no prenatal care. This scoping review assessed multilevel factors associated with first-trimester prenatal care initiation in the United States among studies that included a measure of prenatal care timing, using the socioecological model as an organizing framework.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews guidelines for reporting. PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, CINAHL, and Social Sciences Abstracts were searched for peer-reviewed papers that focused on facilitators and barriers associated with first-trimester prenatal care initiation, were written in English, included a measure of prenatal care timing, and used data gathered after 2014.

RESULTS

Of the 1469 articles identified in the search, 19 met inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Articles described intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental-level barriers and facilitators of first-trimester prenatal care initiation including Medicaid expansion, immigration status, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant heterogeneity in the measurement of prenatal care timing existed across studies.

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that, although environmental domain factors have been impactful toward increasing population-level rates of first-trimester prenatal care initiation, benefits have not been equitable across sociodemographic factors. Increasing the proportion of pregnant people who initiate first-trimester prenatal care will require comprehensive efforts that address sociodemographic and contextual factors, including persistent structural and systemic barriers that cause and widen health disparities.

Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy: Differences by Hispanic Ethnicity and Black Race

OBJECTIVE

Black individuals carry the greatest burden of maternal mortality, with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy being a significant driving force to this disparity. However, research on maternal health disparities predominantly groups Hispanic Black individuals with all other individuals of Hispanic ethnicity. We hypothesized that this aggregation might obscure the risk patterns of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy for Hispanic-Black and non-Hispanic Black individuals.

METHODS

We analyzed a California statewide dataset of vital records linked to hospitalization discharge data for births from 2007 to 2018. Using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for age, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, smoking status, diabetes, and chronic renal disease, we compared the odds of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy between Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Black Hispanic racial-ethnic groups. Hypertensive disorders were categorized into two groups: (1) any hypertensive disorder and (2) chronic hypertension alone, non-severe hypertensive disorders, and severe hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

RESULTS

Non-Hispanic Black people had 75% increased odds of developing a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (aOR); 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.74, 1.78) and Hispanic-Black individuals had a 31% increased odds (95% CI: 1.24, 1.38) as compared with non-Black Hispanic individuals. When considering hypertensive disorders separately, the race-associated differences were largest for chronic hypertension alone, with non-Hispanic Black individuals showing an aOR of 2.35 (95% CI: 2.32, 2.38) and Hispanic-Black individuals an aOR of 1.80 (95% CI: 1.66, 1.95).

CONCLUSION

Compared with non-Black Hispanic individuals, the prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy was higher in Black-Hispanic individuals and highest in non-Hispanic Black individuals. Racial/ethnic differences were larger for chronic hypertension alone than for preeclampsia.

Neonatal mortality among disaggregated Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations

OBJECTIVE

We compared neonatal (<28 days) mortality rates (NMRs) across disaggregated Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) groups using recent, national data.

STUDY DESIGN

We used 2015-2019 cohort-linked birth-infant death records from the National Vital Statistics System. Our sample included 61,703 neonatal deaths among 18,709,743 births across all racial and ethnic groups. We compared unadjusted NMRs across disaggregated AANHPI groups, then compared NMRs adjusting for maternal sociodemographic, maternal clinical, and neonatal risk factors.

RESULTS

Unadjusted NMRs differed by over 3-fold amongst disaggregated AANHPI groups. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander neonates in aggregate had the highest fully-adjusted odds of mortality (OR: 1.08 [95% CI: 0.89, 1.31]) compared to non-Hispanic White neonates. Filipino, Asian Indian, and Other Asian neonates experienced significant decreases in odds ratios after adjusting for neonatal risk factors.

CONCLUSION

Aggregating AANHPI neonates masks large heterogeneity and undermines opportunities to provide targeted care to higher-risk groups.

Health Equity and Perinatal Mental Health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are vulnerable times to experience psychiatric symptoms. Our goal was to describe existing inequities in perinatal mental health, especially across populations, geography, and in the role of childbirth.

RECENT FINDINGS

People of color are at an increased risk for perinatal mental health difficulties and more likely to experience neglect, poor communication, and racial discrimination. LGBTQ + individuals encounter unique challenges, implicating the role of heteronormativity, cisnormativity, and gender dysphoria through pregnancy-related processes. Rural-dwelling women are significantly less likely to seek care, be screened for, or receive treatment for perinatal mental health conditions. Trauma-informed, comprehensive mental health support must be provided to all patients during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, especially for racially and ethnically minoritized individuals that have often been omitted from care. Future research needs to prioritize inclusion of perinatal populations not well represented in the literature, including rural-dwelling individuals.

Trends in racial/ethnic disparities in postpartum hospital readmissions in California from 1997 to 2018

BACKGROUND

Postpartum readmission is an important indicator of postpartum morbidity. The likelihood of postpartum readmission is highest for Black individuals. However, it is unclear whether the likelihood of postpartum readmission has changed over time according to race/ethnicity. Little is also known about the factors that contribute to these trends.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to: (1) examine trends in postpartum readmission by race/ethnicity, (2) examine if prenatal or clinical factors explain the trends, and (3) investigate if racial/ethnic disparities changed over time.

STUDY DESIGN

We examined trends in postpartum readmission, defined as hospitalization within 42 days after birth hospitalization discharge, using live birth and fetal death certificates linked to delivery discharge records from 10,711,289 births in California from 1997 to 2018. We used multivariable logistic regression models that included year and year-squared (to allow for nonlinear trends), overall and stratified by race/ethnicity, to estimate the annual change in postpartum readmission during the study period, represented by odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. We then adjusted models for prenatal (eg, patient demographics) and clinical (eg, gestational age, mode of birth) factors. To determine whether racial/ethnic disparities changed over time, we calculated risk ratios for 1997 and 2018 by comparing the predicted probabilities from the race-specific, unadjusted logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of postpartum readmission was 10 per 1000 births (17.4/1000 births for non-Hispanic Black, 10/1000 for non-Hispanic White, 7.9/1000 for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander, and 9.6/1000 for Hispanic individuals). Odds of readmission increased for all groups during the study period; the increase was greatest for Black individuals (42% vs 21%-29% for the other groups). After adjustment for prenatal and clinical factors, the increase in odds was similar for Black and White individuals (12%). The disparity in postpartum readmission rates relative to White individuals increased for Black individuals (risk ratio, 1.68 in 1997 and 1.90 in 2018) and more modestly for Hispanic individuals (risk ratio, 1.02 in 1997 and 1.05 in 2018) during the study period. Asian/Pacific Islander individuals continued to have lower risk than White individuals during the study period (risk ratio, 0.87 in 1997 and 0.82 in 2018).

CONCLUSION

The rate of postpartum readmissions increased from 1997 to 2018 in California across all racial/ethnic groups, with the greatest increase observed for Black individuals. Racial/ethnic differences in the trend were more modest after adjustment for prenatal and clinical factors. It is important to find ways to prevent further increases in postpartum readmission, especially among groups at highest risk.

Pre-pregnancy BMI, rate of gestational weight gain, and preterm birth among US Pacific Islander individuals

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the association between rate of gestational weight gain (GWG) and preterm birth (PTB) classified by pre-pregnancy BMI among Pacific Islander individuals in the United States.

METHODS

Pacific Islander mothers (n = 55,975) and singleton infants (22-41 gestational weeks) without congenital anomalies were included using data from the National Center for Health Statistics (2014-2018). PTB was compared by pre-pregnancy BMI among women in each stratum of rate of GWG using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Compared with mothers with a rate of GWG within the guidelines, mothers with a rate of GWG below the guidelines and either pre-pregnancy underweight (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.10-3.06), healthy weight (aHR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.15-1.65), obesity class I (aHR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.97-1.52), or obesity class II (aHR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.05-1.96) had an increased risk of PTB; mothers with a rate of GWG above the guidelines and either pre-pregnancy underweight (aHR = 1.57, 95% CI: 0.92-2.69) or obesity class II (aHR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.98-1.76) had an increased risk of PTB.

CONCLUSIONS

The association between rate of GWG below or above the guidelines and PTB differs by pre-pregnancy BMI among Pacific Islander individuals.

Preterm Birth Risk and Maternal Nativity, Ethnicity, and Race

Importance

Immigrant birthing people have lower rates of preterm birth compared with their US-born counterparts. This advantage and associated racial and ethnic disparities across the gestational age spectrum have not been examined nationally.

Objective

To examine associations of maternal nativity, ethnicity, and race with preterm birth.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study used birth certificates from the National Vital Statistics System to analyze in-hospital liveborn singleton births in the US between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2018. Data were analyzed from January to June 2023.

Exposure

Mutually exclusive nativity, ethnicity, and race subgroups were constructed using nativity (defined as US-born or non-US-born), ethnicity (defined as Hispanic or non-Hispanic), and race (defined as American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White, or other [individuals who selected other race or more than 1 race]).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome of interest was preterm birth. Modified Poisson and multinomial logistic regression models quantified relative risk (RR) of preterm birth overall (<37 weeks' gestation) and by gestational category (late preterm: 34-36 weeks' gestation; moderately preterm: 29-33 weeks' gestation; and extremely preterm: <29 weeks' gestation) for each maternal nativity, ethnicity, and race subgroup compared with the largest group, US-born non-Hispanic White (hereafter, White) birthing people. The RR of preterm birth overall and by category was also measured within each racial and ethnic group by nativity. Models were adjusted for maternal demographic and medical covariates, birth year, and birth state.

Results

A total of 34 468 901 singleton live births of birthing people were analyzed, with a mean (SD) age at delivery of 28 (6) years. All nativity, ethnicity, and race subgroups had an increased adjusted risk of preterm birth compared with US-born White birthing people except for non-US-born White (adjusted RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.84-0.86) and Hispanic (adjusted RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.98) birthing people. All racially and ethnically minoritized groups had increased adjusted risks of extremely preterm birth compared with US-born White birthing people. Non-US-born individuals had a decreased risk of preterm birth within each subgroup except non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander individuals, in which immigrants had significantly increased risk of overall (adjusted RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.14), moderately (adjusted RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.92-1.30), and late (adjusted RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.22) preterm birth than their US-born counterparts.

Conclusions and Relevance

Results of this cohort study suggest heterogeneity of preterm birth across maternal nativity, ethnicity, and race and gestational age categories. Understanding these patterns could aid the design of targeted preterm birth interventions and policies, especially for birthing people typically underrepresented in research.