Changes in prenatal care and birth outcomes after federally qualified health center expansion.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To evaluate whether the expansion of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) improved late prenatal care initiation, low birth weight, and preterm birth among Medicaid-covered or uninsured individuals.

Data sources and study setting

We identified all FQHCs in California using the Health Resources and Services Administration's Uniform Data System from 2000 to 2019. We used data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey to describe area characteristics. We measured outcomes in California birth certificate data from 2007 to 2019.

Study design

We compared areas that received their first FQHC between 2011 and 2016 to areas that received it later or that had never had an FQHC. Specifically, we used a synthetic control with a staggered adoption approach to

SUBMITTER: Gourevitch RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10012219 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature