Racial disparities in adequacy of prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, 2018-2021.

ABSTRACT:

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals' decision of not admitting pregnant women's partner or support person, and pregnant women's fear of contracting COVID-19 in hospitals may disrupt prenatal care. We aimed to examine whether prenatal care utilization in South Carolina varied before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the variation was different by race.

Methods

We utilized 2018-2021 statewide birth certificate data using a pre-post design, including all women who delivered a live birth in South Carolina. The Kotelchuck Index - incorporating the timing of prenatal care initiation and the frequency of gestational age-adjusted visits - was employed to categorize prenatal care into inadequate versus adequate care. Self-reported race includes White, Black

SUBMITTER: Julceus EF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10517534 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature