Rural-urban differences in obstetric care, 2002-2010, and implications for the future.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Approximately 15% of the 4 million annual US births occur in rural hospitals.

Objective

To (1) measure differences in obstetric care in rural and urban hospitals, and to (2) examine whether trends over time differ by rural-urban hospital location.

Research design and subjects

This was a retrospective analysis of hospital discharge records for all births in the 2002-2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which constitutes 20% sample of US hospitals (N = 7,188,972 births: 6,316,743 in urban hospitals, 837,772 in rural hospitals).

Measures

Rates of low-risk cesarean (full-term, singleton, vertex pregnancies; no prior cesarean), vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), nonindicated cesarean, and nonindicated labor induction were estimated.

Results

In 2010,

SUBMITTER: Kozhimannil KB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4130377 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature