Economic status, education and empowerment: implications for maternal health service utilization in developing countries

BACKGROUND

Relative to the attention given to improving the quality of and access to maternal health services, the influence of women's socio-economic situation on maternal health care use has received scant attention. The objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between women's economic, educational and empowerment status, introduced as the 3Es, and maternal health service utilization in developing countries.

METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The analysis uses data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 31 countries for which data on all the 3Es are available. Separate logistic regression models are fitted for modern contraceptive use, antenatal care and skilled birth attendance in relation to the three covariates of interest: economic, education and empowerment status, additionally controlling for women's age and residence. We use meta-analysis techniques to combine and summarize results from multiple countries. The 3Es are significantly associated with utilization of maternal health services. The odds of having a skilled attendant at delivery for women in the poorest wealth quintile are 94% lower than that for women in the highest wealth quintile and almost 5 times higher for women with complete primary education relative to those less educated. The likelihood of using modern contraception and attending four or more antenatal care visits are 2.01 and 2.89 times, respectively, higher for women with complete primary education than for those less educated. Women with the highest empowerment score are between 1.31 and 1.82 times more likely than those with a null empowerment score to use modern contraception, attend four or more antenatal care visits and have a skilled attendant at birth.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Efforts to expand maternal health service utilization can be accelerated by parallel investments in programs aimed at poverty eradication (MDG 1), universal primary education (MDG 2), and women's empowerment (MDG 3).

National, regional, and worldwide estimates of stillbirth rates in 2009 with trends since 1995: a systematic analysis

BACKGROUND

Stillbirths do not count in routine worldwide data-collating systems or for the Millennium Development Goals. Two sets of national stillbirth estimates for 2000 produced similar worldwide totals of 3·2 million and 3·3 million, but rates differed substantially for some countries. We aimed to develop more reliable estimates and a time series from 1995 for 193 countries, by increasing input data, using recent data, and applying improved modelling approaches.

METHODS

For international comparison, stillbirth is defined as fetal death in the third trimester (≥1000 g birthweight or ≥28 completed weeks of gestation). Several sources of stillbirth data were identified and assessed against prespecified inclusion criteria: vital registration data; nationally representative surveys; and published studies identified through systematic literature searches, unpublished studies, and national data identified through a WHO country consultation process. For 2009, reported rates were used for 33 countries and model-based estimates for 160 countries. A regression model of log stillbirth rate was developed and used to predict national stillbirth rates from 1995 to 2009. Uncertainty ranges were obtained with a bootstrap approach. The final model included log(neonatal mortality rate) (cubic spline), log(low birthweight rate) (cubic spline), log(gross national income purchasing power parity) (cubic spline), region, type of data source, and definition of stillbirth.

FINDINGS

Vital registration data from 79 countries, 69 nationally representative surveys from 39 countries, and 113 studies from 42 countries met inclusion criteria. The estimated number of global stillbirths was 2·64 million (uncertainty range 2·14 million to 3·82 million) in 2009 compared with 3·03 million (uncertainty range 2·37 million to 4·19 million) in 1995. Worldwide stillbirth rate has declined by 14·5%, from 22·1 stillbirths per 1000 births in 1995 to 18·9 stillbirths per 1000 births in 2009. In 2009, 76·2% of stillbirths occurred in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

INTERPRETATION

This study draws attention to the dearth of reliable data in regions where most stillbirths occur. The estimated trend in stillbirth rate reduction is slower than that for maternal mortality and lags behind the increasing progress in reducing deaths in children younger than 5 years. Improved data and improved use of data are crucial to ensure that stillbirths count in global and national policy.

FUNDING

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth, Saving Newborn Lives/Save the Children, and the International Stillbirth Alliance. The Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, through the UN Development Programme, UN Population Fund, WHO, and World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction.

Development of a comorbidity index for use in obstetric patients

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a maternal comorbidity index to predict severe maternal morbidity, defined as the occurrence of acute maternal end-organ injury, or mortality.

METHODS

Data were derived from the Medicaid Analytic eXtract for the years 2000-2007. The primary outcome was defined as the occurrence of maternal end-organ injury or death during the delivery hospitalization through 30 days postpartum. The data set was randomly divided into a two-thirds development cohort and a one-third validation cohort. Using the development cohort, a logistic regression model predicting the primary outcome was created using a stepwise selection algorithm that included 24-candidate comorbid conditions and maternal age. Each of the conditions included in the final model was assigned a weight based on its beta coefficient, and these were used to calculate a maternal comorbidity index.

RESULTS

The cohort included 854,823 completed pregnancies, of which 9,901 (1.2%) were complicated by the primary study outcome. The derived score included 20 maternal conditions and maternal age. For each point increase in the score, the odds ratio for the primary outcome was 1.37 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35-1.39). The c-statistic for this model was 0.657 (95% CI 0.647-0.666). The derived score performed significantly better than available comorbidity indices in predicting maternal morbidity and mortality.

CONCLUSION

This new maternal comorbidity index provides a simple measure for summarizing the burden of maternal illness for use in the conduct of epidemiologic, health services, and comparative effectiveness research.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.

Racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity: a multistate analysis, 2008-2010

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity during delivery hospitalizations in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN

We identified delivery hospitalizations from 2008-2010 in State Inpatient Databases from 7 states. We used International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, codes to create severe maternal morbidity indicators during delivery hospitalizations. We calculated the rates of severe maternal morbidity that were measured with and without blood transfusion for 5 racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women. Poisson regression models were fitted to explore the associations between race/ethnicity and severe maternal morbidity after we controlled for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Overall, severe maternal morbidity rates that were measured with and without blood transfusion were 150.7 and 64.3 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations, respectively. Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women had 2.1, 1.3, 1.2, and 1.7 times (all P < .05), respectively, higher rates of severe morbidity that were measured with blood transfusion compared with non-Hispanic white women; similar increased rates were observed when severe morbidity was measured without blood transfusion. Other significant positive predictors of severe morbidity were age <20 and ≥30 years, self-pay or Medicaid coverage for delivery, low socioeconomic status, and presence of chronic medical conditions.

CONCLUSION

Severe maternal morbidity disproportionally affects racial/ethnic minority women, especially non-Hispanic black women. There is a need for a systematic review of severe maternal morbidities at the facility, state, and national levels to guide the development of quality improvement interventions to reduce the racial/ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity.

Maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States: where are we now?

This article provides a brief overview of the work conducted by the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on severe maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States. The article presents the latest data and trends in maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, as well as on maternal substance abuse and mental health disorders during pregnancy, two relatively recent topics of interest in the Division, and includes future directions of work in all these areas.

Prevalence and patterns of marijuana use among pregnant and nonpregnant women of reproductive age

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to provide national prevalence, patterns, and correlates of marijuana use in the past month and past 2-12 months among women of reproductive age by pregnancy status.

STUDY DESIGN

Data from 2007-2012 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, a cross-sectional nationally representative survey, identified pregnant (n = 4971) and nonpregnant (n = 88,402) women 18-44 years of age. Women self-reported marijuana use in the past month and past 2-12 months (use in the past year but not in the past month). χ(2) statistics and adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated using a weighting variable to account for the complex survey design and probability of sampling.

RESULTS

Among pregnant women and nonpregnant women, respectively, 3.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-4.7) and 7.6% (95% CI, 7.3-7.9) used marijuana in the past month and 7.0% (95% CI, 6.0-8.2) and 6.4% (95% CI, 6.2-6.6) used in the past 2-12 months. Among past-year marijuana users (n = 17,934), use almost daily was reported by 16.2% of pregnant and 12.8% of nonpregnant women; and 18.1% of pregnant and 11.4% of nonpregnant women met criteria for abuse and/or dependence. Approximately 70% of both pregnant and nonpregnant women believe there is slight or no risk of harm from using marijuana once or twice a week. Smokers of tobacco, alcohol users, and other illicit drug users were 2-3 times more likely to use marijuana in the past year than respective nonusers, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSION

More than 1 in 10 pregnant and nonpregnant women reported using marijuana in the past 12 months. A considerable percentage of women who used marijuana in the past year were daily users, met abuse and/or dependence criteria, and were polysubstance users. Comprehensive screening, treatment for use of multiple substances, and additional research and patient education on the possible harms of marijuana use are needed for all women of reproductive age.

Low use of contraception among poor women in Africa: an equity issue

OBJECTIVE

To examine the use of contraception in 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa; to assess changes in met need for contraception associated with wealth-related inequity; and to describe the relationship between the use of long-term versus short-term contraceptive methods and a woman's fertility intentions and household wealth.

METHODS

The analysis was conducted with Demographic and Health Survey data from 13 sub-Saharan African countries. Wealth-related inequities in the use of contraception were calculated using household wealth and concentration indices. Logistic regression models were fitted for the likelihood of using a long-term contraceptive method, with adjustments for: wealth index quintile, fertility intentions (to space births versus to stop childbearing), residence (urban/rural), education, number of living children, marital status and survey year.

FINDINGS

The use of contraception has increased substantially between surveys in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia but has declined slightly in Kenya, Senegal and Uganda. Wealth-related inequalities in the met need for contraception have decreased in most countries and especially so in Mozambique, but they have increased in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia with regard to spacing births, and in Malawi, Senegal, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia with regard to limiting childbearing. After adjustment for fertility intention, women in the richest wealth quintile were more likely than those in the poorest quintile to practice long-term contraception.

CONCLUSION

Family planning programmes in sub-Saharan Africa show varying success in reaching all social segments, but inequities persist in all countries.

The role of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment in the perinatal period

Substance use during pregnancy is at least as common as many of the medical conditions screened for and managed during pregnancy. While harmful and costly, it is often ignored or managed poorly. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment is an evidence-based approach to manage substance use. In September 2012, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened an Expert Meeting on Perinatal Illicit Drug Abuse to help address key issues around drug use in pregnancy in the United States. This article reflects the formal conclusions of the expert panel that discussed the use of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment during pregnancy. Screening for substance use during pregnancy should be universal. It allows stratification of women into zones of risk given their pattern of use. Low-risk women should receive brief advice, those classified as moderate risk should receive a brief intervention, whereas those who are high risk need referral to specialty care. A brief intervention is a patient-centered form of counseling using the principles of motivational interviewing. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment has the potential to reduce the burden of substance use in pregnancy and should be integrated into prenatal care.

Maternal Use of Opioids During Pregnancy and Congenital Malformations: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Opioid use and abuse have increased dramatically in recent years, particularly among women.

OBJECTIVES

We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the association between prenatal opioid use and congenital malformations.

DATA SOURCES

We searched Medline and Embase for studies published from 1946 to 2016 and reviewed reference lists to identify additional relevant studies.

STUDY SELECTION

We included studies that were full-text journal articles and reported the results of original epidemiologic research on prenatal opioid exposure and congenital malformations. We assessed study eligibility in multiple phases using a standardized, duplicate review process.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data on study characteristics, opioid exposure, timing of exposure during pregnancy, congenital malformations (collectively or as individual subtypes), length of follow-up, and main findings were extracted from eligible studies.

RESULTS

Of the 68 studies that met our inclusion criteria, 46 had an unexposed comparison group; of those, 30 performed statistical tests to measure associations between maternal opioid use during pregnancy and congenital malformations. Seventeen of these (10 of 12 case-control and 7 of 18 cohort studies) documented statistically significant positive associations. Among the case-control studies, associations with oral clefts and ventricular septal defects/atrial septal defects were the most frequently reported specific malformations. Among the cohort studies, clubfoot was the most frequently reported specific malformation.

LIMITATIONS

Variabilities in study design, poor study quality, and weaknesses with outcome and exposure measurement.

CONCLUSIONS

Uncertainty remains regarding the teratogenicity of opioids; a careful assessment of risks and benefits is warranted when considering opioid treatment for women of reproductive age.

Performance of racial and ethnic minority-serving hospitals on delivery-related indicators

OBJECTIVE

We sought to explore how racial/ethnic minority-serving hospitals perform on 15 delivery-related indicators, and examine whether indicators vary by race/ethnicity within the same type of hospitals.

STUDY DESIGN

We used 2008 through 2011 linked State Inpatient Database and American Hospital Association data from 7 states, and designated hospitals with >50% of deliveries to non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women as white-, black-, and Hispanic-serving, respectively. We calculated indicator rates per 1000 deliveries by hospital type and, separately, for non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women within each hospital type. We fitted multivariate Poisson regression models to examine associations between delivery-related indicators and patient and hospital characteristics by hospital type.

RESULTS

White-serving hospitals offer obstetric care to an older and wealthier population than black- or Hispanic-serving hospitals. Rates of the most prevalent indicators examined (complicated vaginal delivery, complicated cesarean delivery, obstetric trauma) were lowest in Hispanic-serving hospitals. Generally, indicator rates were similar in Hispanic- and white-serving hospitals. Black-serving hospitals performed worse than other hospitals on 12 of 15 indicators. Indicator rates varied greatly by race/ethnicity in white- and Hispanic-serving hospitals, with non-Hispanic blacks having 1.19-3.27 and 1.15-2.68 times higher rates than non-Hispanic whites, respectively, for 11 of 15 indicators. Conversely, there were few indicator rate differences by race/ethnicity in black-serving hospitals, suggesting an overall lower performance of these hospitals compared to white- and Hispanic-serving hospitals.

CONCLUSION

We found considerable differences in delivery-related indicators by hospital type and patients' race/ethnicity. Obstetric care quality measures are needed to track racial/ethnic disparities at the facility and population levels.

Integration of HIV/AIDS services with maternal, neonatal and child health, nutrition, and family planning services

BACKGROUND

The integration of HIV/AIDS and maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition services (MNCHN), including family planning (FP) is recognized as a key strategy to reduce maternal and child mortality and control the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of service integration.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of integrating MNCHN-FP and HIV/AIDS services on health, behavioral, and economic outcomes and to identify research gaps.

SEARCH METHODS

Using the Cochrane Collaboration's validated search strategies for identifying reports of HIV interventions, along with appropriate keywords and MeSH terms, we searched a range of electronic databases, including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, MEDLINE (via PubMed), and Web of Science / Web of Social Science. The date range was from 01 January 1990 to 15 October 2010. There were no limits to language.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Included studies were published in peer-reviewed journals, and provided intervention evaluation data (pre-post or multi-arm study design).The interventions described were organizational strategies or change, process modifications or introductions of technologies aimed at integrating MNCHN-FP and HIV/AIDS service delivery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We identified 10,619 citations from the electronic database searches and 101 citations from hand searching, cross-reference searching and interpersonal communication. After initial screenings for relevance by pairs of authors working independently, a total of 121 full-text articles were obtained for closer examination.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty peer-reviewed articles representing 19 interventions met inclusion criteria. There were no randomized controlled trials. One study utilized a stepped wedge design, while the rest were non-randomized trials, cohort studies, time series studies, cross-sectional studies, serial cross-sectional studies, and before-after studies. It was not possible to perform meta-analysis. Risk of bias was generally high. We found high between-study heterogeneity in terms of intervention types, study objectives, settings and designs, and reported outcomes. Most studies integrated FP with HIV testing (n=7) or HIV care and treatment (n=4). Overall, HIV and MNCHN-FP service integration was found to be feasible across a variety of integration models, settings and target populations. Nearly all studies reported positive post-integration effects on key outcomes including contraceptive use, antiretroviral therapy initiation in pregnancy, HIV testing, and quality of services.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review's findings show that integrated HIV/AIDS and MNCHN-FP services are feasible to implement and show promise towards improving a variety of health and behavioral outcomes. However, significant evidence gaps remain. Rigorous research comparing outcomes of integrated with non-integrated services, including cost, cost-effectiveness, and health outcomes such as HIV and STI incidence, morbidity and mortality are greatly needed to inform programs and policy.

Morbidity associated with cesarean delivery in the United States: is placenta accreta an increasingly important contributor?

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine cesarean delivery morbidity and its predictors in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN

We used 2000-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample data to identify cesarean deliveries and records with 12 potential cesarean delivery complications, including placenta accreta. We estimated cesarean delivery morbidity rates and rate changes from 2000-2011, and fitted Poisson regression models to assess the relative incidence of morbidity among repeat vs primary cesarean deliveries and explore its predictors.

RESULTS

From 2000-2011, 76 in 1000 cesarean deliveries (97 in 1000 primary and 48 in 1000 repeat cesarean deliveries) were accompanied by ≥1 of 12 complications. The unadjusted composite cesarean delivery morbidity rate increased by 3.6% only among women with a primary cesarean delivery (P < .001); the unadjusted rate of placenta accreta increased by 30.8% only among women with a repeat cesarean deliveries (P = .025). The adjusted rate of overall composite cesarean delivery morbidity decreased by 1% annually from 2000-2011 (P < .001). Compared with women with a primary cesarean delivery, those women who underwent a repeat cesarean delivery were one-half as likely (incidence rate ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.49-0.50) to experience a complication, but 2.13 (95% CI, 1.98-2.29) times more likely to have a placenta accreta diagnosis. Both cesarean delivery morbidity and placenta accreta were positively associated with age >30 years, non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity, the presence of a chronic medical condition, and delivery in urban, teaching, or larger hospitals.

CONCLUSION

Overall, cesarean delivery morbidity declined modestly from 2000-2011, but placenta accreta became an increasingly important contributor to repeat cesarean delivery morbidity. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for abnormal placentation and make adequate preparations for patients who need cesarean deliveries.

Abortion Surveillance - United States, 2012

PROBLEM/CONDITION

Since 1969, CDC has conducted abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions in the United States.

REPORTING PERIOD COVERED

2012.

DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM

Each year, CDC requests abortion data from the central health agencies of 52 reporting areas (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City). The reporting areas provide this information voluntarily. For 2012, data were received from 49 reporting areas. For trend analysis, abortion data were evaluated from 47 areas that reported data every year during 2003-2012. Census and natality data, respectively, were used to calculate abortion rates (number of abortions per 1,000 women) and ratios (number of abortions per 1,000 live births).

RESULTS

A total of 699,202 abortions were reported to CDC for 2012. Of these abortions, 98.4% were from the 47 reporting areas that provided data every year during 2003-2012. Among these same 47 reporting areas, the abortion rate for 2012 was 13.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years, and the abortion ratio was 210 abortions per 1,000 live births. From 2011 to 2012, the total number and ratio of reported abortions decreased 4% and the abortion rate decreased 5%. From 2003 to 2012, the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions decreased 17%, 18%, and 14%, respectively, and reached their lowest level in 2012 for the entire period of analysis (2003-2012). In 2012 and throughout the period of analysis, women in their 20s accounted for the majority of abortions and had the highest abortion rates; women in their 30s and older accounted for a much smaller percentage of abortions and had lower abortion rates. In 2012, women aged 20-24 and 25-29 years accounted for 32.8% and 25.4% of all abortions, respectively, and had abortion rates of 23.3 and 18.9 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20-24 and 25-29 years, respectively. In contrast, women aged 30-34, 35-39, and ≥40 years accounted for 16.4%, 9.1%, and 3.7% of all abortions, respectively, and had abortion rates of 12.4, 7.3, and 2.8 abortions per 1,000 women aged 30-34 years, 35-39 years, and ≥40 years, respectively. Throughout the period of analysis, abortion rates decreased among women aged 20-24, 25-29, and 30-34 years by 24%, 18%, and 10%, respectively, whereas they increased among women aged ≥40 years by 8%. In 2012, adolescents aged <15 and 15-19 years accounted for 0.4% and 12.2% of all abortions, respectively, and had abortion rates of 0.8 and 9.2 abortions per 1,000 adolescents aged <15 and 15-19 years, respectively. From 2003 to 2012, the percentage of abortions accounted for by adolescents aged 15-19 years decreased 27% and their abortion rate decreased 40%. These decreases were greater than the decreases for women in any older age group. In contrast to the percentage distribution of abortions and abortion rates by age, abortion ratios in 2012 and throughout the entire period of analysis were highest among adolescents aged ≤19 years and lowest among women aged 30-39 years. Abortion ratios decreased from 2003 to 2012 for women in all age groups. In 2012, the majority (65.8%) of abortions were performed by ≤8 weeks' gestation, and nearly all (91.4%) were performed by ≤13 weeks' gestation. Few abortions (7.2%) were performed between 14-20 weeks' gestation or at ≥21 weeks' gestation (1.3%). From 2003 to 2012, the percentage of all abortions performed at ≤8 weeks' gestation increased 7%; the percentage performed at >13 weeks remained consistently low (≤9.0%). In 2012, among the 40 reporting areas that included medical (nonsurgical) abortion on their reporting form, a total of 69.4% of abortions were performed by curettage at ≤13 weeks' gestation, 20.8% were performed by early medical abortion (a nonsurgical abortion at ≤8 weeks' gestation), and 8.7% were performed by curettage at >13 weeks' gestation; all other methods were uncommon. Among abortions performed at ≤8 weeks' gestation that were eligible on the basis of gestational age for early medical abortion, 30.8% were completed by this method. The percentage of abortions reported as early medical abortions increased 10% from 2011 to 2012. Deaths of women associated with complications from abortions for 2012 are being investigated as part of CDC's Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. In 2011, the most recent year for which data were available, two women were identified to have died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortions. No reported deaths were associated with known illegal induced abortions.

INTERPRETATION

Among the 47 areas that reported data every year during 2003-2012, the notable decreases that occurred during 2008-2011 in the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions continued from 2011 to 2012 and resulted in historic lows for all three measures of abortion.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS

The data in this report can help to identify groups of women at greatest risk for abortion and can be used to guide and evaluate prevention efforts. Because unintended pregnancy is the major contributor to abortion, and unintended pregnancies are rare among women who use the most effective methods of contraception, increasing access to and use of these methods can help further reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, and therefore abortions, performed in the United States.

Community Dialogue to Shift Social Norms and Enable Family Planning: An Evaluation of the Family Planning Results Initiative in Kenya

Introduction

Use of family planning (FP) is powerfully shaped by social and gender norms, including the perceived acceptability of FP and gender roles that limit women’s autonomy and restrict communication and decision-making between men and women. This study evaluated an intervention that catalyzed ongoing community dialogues about gender and FP in Siaya county, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Specifically, we explored the changes in perceived acceptability of FP, gender norms and use of FP.

Methods

We used a mixed-method approach. Information on married men and women’s socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy intentions, gender-related beliefs, FP knowledge, attitudes, and use were collected during county-representative, cross-sectional household surveys at baseline (2009; n₁₁ = 650 women; n₁₂ = 305 men) and endline (2012; n₂₁ = 617 women; n₂₂ = 317 men); exposure to the intervention was measured at endline. We assessed changes in FP use at endline vs. baseline, and fitted multivariate logistic regression models for FP use to examine its association with intervention exposure and explore other predictors of use at endline. In-depth, qualitative interviews with 10 couples at endline further explored enablers and barriers to FP use.

Results

At baseline, 34.0% of women and 27.9% of men used a modern FP method compared to 51.2% and 52.2%, respectively, at endline (p<0.05). Exposure to FP dialogues was associated with 1.78 (95% CI: 1.20–2.63) times higher odds of using a modern FP method at endline for women, but this association was not significant for men. Women’s use of modern FP was significantly associated with higher spousal communication, control over own cash earnings, and FP self-efficacy. Men who reported high approval of FP were significantly more likely to use modern FP if reporting high approval of FP and more equitable gender beliefs. FP dialogues addressed persistent myths and misconceptions, normalized FP discussions, and increased its acceptability. Public examples of couples making joint FP decisions legitimized communication and decision-making with spouses about FP especially for men; women described partner support as key enabler of FP use.

Conclusions

Our evaluation demonstrates that an intervention that catalyzes open dialogue about gender and FP can shift social norms, enable more equitable couple communication and decision-making and, ultimately, increase use of FP.

Call to Action: Maternal Health and Saving Mothers: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rates among developed countries, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause. Therefore, the American Heart Association has a unique role in advocating for efforts to improve maternal health and to enhance access to and delivery of care before, during, and after pregnancy. Several initiatives have shaped the time course of major milestones in advancing maternal and reproductive health equity in the United States. There have been significant strides in improving the timeliness of data reporting in maternal mortality surveillance and epidemiological programs in maternal and child health, yet more policy reforms are necessary. To make a sustainable and systemic impact on maternal health, further efforts are necessary at the societal, institutional, stakeholder, and regulatory levels to address the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health, to effectively reduce inequities in care, and to mitigate maternal morbidity and mortality. In alignment with American Heart Association's mission "to be a relentless force for longer, healthier lives," this policy statement outlines the inequities that influence disparities in maternal outcomes and current policy approaches to improving maternal health and suggests additional potentially impactful actions to improve maternal outcomes and ultimately save mothers' lives.

Maternal Mortality in the United States: A Review of Contemporary Data and Their Limitations

This article provides a review of maternal mortality data and their limitations in the United States. National maternal mortality data, which rely heavily on vital statistics, document that the risk of death from pregnancy-related causes has not declined for >25 years and that striking racial disparities persist. State-based maternal mortality reviews, functional in many states, obtain detailed information on medical and nonmedical factors contributing to maternal deaths. Without this detailed knowledge from state-level data and without addressing recognized quality problems with vital statistics data at the national-level, we will have difficulty understanding maternal death trends and preventing future such deaths.

How contraceptive use affects birth intervals: results of a literature review

Short birth intervals can have adverse consequences for maternal and infant outcomes. Optimal birth spacing is often presumed to be achieved through the practice of family planning and use of contraceptives, yet most of the available research does not address explicitly the contribution of contraceptive-method use to birth spacing or maternal and infant survival. We conducted a systematic literature review to assess the body of evidence linking contraceptive use to birth-interval length. Fourteen studies published in English between 1980 and 2008 met our eligibility criteria for inclusion. The findings from these studies are mixed but suggest that the use of contraceptives is protective against short birth intervals. Although results are favorable, many of the studies and methodologies employed are dated. More current research is needed to determine the impact of contraceptive-method use on birth-interval length in order to inform the promotion of family planning for reducing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality through birth spacing.

Obstetric fistulas: A clinical review

A high proportion of genitourinary fistulas have an obstetric origin. Obstetric fistulas are caused by prolonged obstructed labor coupled with a lack of medical attention. While successful management with prolonged bladder drainage has occasionally been reported, mature fistulas require formal operative repair, and it is crucial that the first repair is done properly. The literature reports 3 approaches to fistula repair: vaginal, abdominal, and combined vaginal and abdominal. Many authors report high success rates for the surgical closure of obstetric fistulas at the time of hospital discharge, without further evaluation of the repair's effect on urinary continence or subsequent quality of life. Data on obstetric fistulas are scarce, and thus many questions regarding fistula management remain unanswered. A standardized terminology and classification, as well as a data reporting system on the surgical management of obstetric fistulas and its outcomes, are critical steps that need to be taken immediately.

Pathways to unsafe abortion in Ghana: the role of male partners, women and health care providers

BACKGROUND

Despite abortion being legal, complications from induced abortion are the second leading cause of maternal mortality in Ghana. The objective of this study was to understand the decision-making process associated with induced abortion in Ghana.

STUDY DESIGN

Data were collected from female postabortion patients, male partners, family planning nurses and obstetricians/gynecologists at two teaching hospitals in Ghana using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.

RESULTS

While experiences differ for married and single women, men are involved in abortion decision making directly, through "orders" to abort, or indirectly, through denying responsibility for the pregnancy. Health care providers can be barriers to seeking safe abortions in this setting.

CONCLUSIONS

Women who choose to terminate a pregnancy without their male partners' knowledge should have the means (both financial and social) to do so safely. Interventions with health care providers should discourage judgemental attitudes and emphasize individually focused patient care.

The Validity of Discharge Billing Codes Reflecting Severe Maternal Morbidity

BACKGROUND

Discharge diagnoses are used to track national trends and patterns of maternal morbidity. There are few data regarding the validity of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes used for this purpose. The goal of our study was to try to better understand the validity of administrative data being used to monitor and assess trends in morbidity.

METHODS

Hospital stay billing records were queried to identify all delivery admissions at the Massachusetts General Hospital for the time period 2001 to 2011 and the University of Michigan Health System for the time period 2005 to 2011. From this, we identified patients with ICD-9-Clinical Modification (CM) diagnosis and procedure codes indicative of severe maternal morbidity. Each patient was classified with 1 of 18 different medical/obstetric categories (conditions or procedures) based on the ICD-9-CM code that was recorded. Within each category, 20 patients from each institution were selected at random, and the corresponding medical charts were reviewed to determine whether the ICD-9-CM code was assigned correctly. The percentage of correct codes for each of 18 preselected clinical categories was calculated yielding a positive predictive value (PPV) and 99% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

The overall number of correctly assigned ICD-9-CM codes, or PPV, was 218 of 255 (86%; CI, 79%-90%) and 154 of 188 (82%; CI, 74%-88%) at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Michigan Health System, respectively (combined PPV, 372/443 [84%; CI, 79-88%]). Codes within 4 categories (Hysterectomy, Pulmonary edema, Disorders of fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance, and Sepsis) had a 99% lower confidence limit ≥75%. Codes within 8 additional categories demonstrated a 99% lower confidence limit between 74% and 50% (Acute respiratory distress, Ventilation, Other complications of obstetric surgery, Disorders of coagulation, Cardiomonitoring, Acute renal failure, Thromboembolism, and Shock). Codes within 6 clinical categories demonstrated a 99% lower confidence limit <50% (Puerperal cerebrovascular disorders, Conversion of cardiac rhythm, Acute heart failure [includes arrest and fibrillation], Eclampsia, Neurotrauma, and Severe anesthesia complications).

CONCLUSIONS

ICD-9-CM codes capturing severe maternal morbidity during delivery hospitalization demonstrate a range of PPVs. The PPV was high when objective supportive evidence, such as laboratory values or procedure documentation supported the ICD-9-CM code. The PPV was low when greater judgment, interpretation, and synthesis of the clinical data (signs and symptoms) was required to support a code, such as with the category Severe anesthesia complications. As a result, these codes should be used for administrative research with more caution compared with codes primarily defined by objective data.

Use of Service Provision Assessments and Service Availability and Readiness Assessments for monitoring quality of maternal and newborn health services in low-income and middle-income countries

Improving the quality of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services is key to reducing adverse MNH outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Service Provision Assessment (SPA) and Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) are the most widely employed, standardised tools that generate health service delivery data in LMICs. We ascertained the use of SPA/SARA surveys for assessing the quality of MNH services using a two-step approach: a SPA/SARA questionnaire mapping exercise in line with WHO's Quality of Care (QoC) Framework for pregnant women and newborns and the WHO quality standards for care around the time of childbirth; and a scoping literature review, searching for articles that report SPA/SARA data. SPA/SARA surveys are well suited to assess the WHO Framework's cross-cutting dimensions (physical and human resources); SPA also captures elements in the provision and experience of care domains for antenatal care and family planning. Only 4 of 31 proposed WHO quality indicators around the time of childbirth can be fully generated using SPA and SARA surveys, while 19 and 23 quality indicators can be partially obtained from SARA and SPA surveys, respectively; most of these are input indicators. Use of SPA/SARA data is growing, but there is considerable variation in methods employed to measure MNH QoC. With SPA/SARA data available in 30 countries, MNH QoC assessments could benefit from guidance for creating standard metrics. Adding questions in SPA/SARA surveys to assess the WHO QoC Framework's provision and experience of care dimensions would fill significant data gaps in LMICs.

Nativity-Related Disparities in Preeclampsia and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among a Racially Diverse Cohort of US Women

IMPORTANCE

Preeclampsia is an independent risk factor for future cardiovascular disease and disproportionally affects non-Hispanic Black women. The association of maternal nativity and duration of US residence with preeclampsia and other cardiovascular risk factors is well described among non-Hispanic Black women but not among women of other racial and ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVE

To examine differences in cardiovascular risk factors and preeclampsia prevalence by race and ethnicity, nativity, and duration of US residence among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White women.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional analysis of the Boston Birth Cohort included a racially diverse cohort of women who had singleton deliveries at the Boston Medical Center from October 1, 1998, to February 15, 2016. Participants self-identified as Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, or non-Hispanic White. Data were analyzed from March 1 to March 31, 2021.

EXPOSURES

Maternal nativity and duration of US residence (<10 vs ≥10 years) were self-reported.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES

Diagnosis of preeclampsia, the outcome of interest, was retrieved from maternal medical records.

RESULTS

A total of 6096 women (2400 Hispanic, 2699 non-Hispanic Black, and 997 non-Hispanic White) with a mean (SD) age of 27.5 (6.3) years were included in the study sample. Compared with Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women, non-Hispanic Black women had the highest prevalence of chronic hypertension (204 of 2699 [7.5%] vs 65 of 2400 [2.7%] and 28 of 997 [2.8%], respectively), obesity (658 of 2699 [24.4%] vs 380 of 2400 [15.8%] and 152 of 997 [15.2%], respectively), and preeclampsia (297 of 2699 [11.0%] vs 212 of 2400 [8.8%] and 71 of 997 [7.1%], respectively). Compared with their counterparts born outside the US, US-born women in all 3 racial and ethnic groups had a significantly higher prevalence of obesity (Hispanic women, 132 of 556 [23.7%] vs 248 of 1844 [13.4%]; non-Hispanic Black women, 444 of 1607 [27.6%] vs 214 of 1092 [19.6%]; non-Hispanic White women, 132 of 776 [17.0%] vs 20 of 221 [9.0%]), smoking (Hispanic women, 98 of 556 [17.6%] vs 30 of 1844 [1.6%]; non-Hispanic Black women, 330 of 1607 [20.5%] vs 53 of 1092 [4.9%]; non-Hispanic White women, 382 of 776 [49.2%] vs 42 of 221 [19.0%]), and severe stress (Hispanic women, 76 of 556 [13.7%] vs 85 of 1844 [4.6%]; non-Hispanic Black women, 231 of 1607 [14.4%] vs 120 of 1092 [11.0%]; non-Hispanic White women, 164 of 776 [21.1%] vs 26 of 221 [11.8%]). After adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors, birth status outside the US (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.74 [95% CI, 0.55-1.00]) and shorter duration of US residence (aOR, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.41-0.93]) were associated with lower odds of preeclampsia among non-Hispanic Black women. However, among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women, maternal nativity (aOR for Hispanic women, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.72-1.60]; aOR for non-Hispanic White women, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.49-1.96]) and duration of US residence (aOR for Hispanic women <10 years, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.67-1.59]; aOR for non-Hispanic White women <10 years, 1.20 [95% CI, 0.48-3.02]) were not associated with preeclampsia.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Nativity-related disparities in preeclampsia persisted among non-Hispanic Black women but not among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women after adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Further research is needed to explore the interplay of factors contributing to nativity-related disparities in preeclampsia, particularly among non-Hispanic Black women.

Complex obstetric fistulas

Obstetric fistulas are rarely simple. Most patients in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia are carriers of complex fistulas or complicated fistulas requiring expert skills for evaluation and management. A fistula is predictably complex when it is greater than 4 cm and involves the continence mechanism (the urethra is partially absent, the bladder capacity is reduced, or both); is associated with moderately severe scarring of the trigone and urethrovesical junction; and/or has multiple openings. A fistula is even more complicated when it is more than 6 cm in its largest dimension, particularly when it is associated with severe scarring and the absence of the urethra, and/or when it is combined with a recto-vaginal fistula. The present article reviews the evaluation methods and main surgical techniques used in the management of complex fistulas. The severity of the neurovascular alterations associated with these lesions, as well as inescapable limitations in staff, health facilities, and supplies, make their optimal management very challenging.