Welfare reform and the perinatal health and health care use of Latino women in California, New York City, and Texas.
OBJECTIVE
This study analyzed changes in the financing of prenatal care and delivery, the use of prenatal care, and birth outcomes among foreign-born vs US-born Latino women following enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in August 1996.


METHODS
We used a pre-post design with a comparison group. The sample consisted of resident Latinas in California, New York City, and Texas who delivered a live infant in 1995 or 1998.


RESULTS
The proportion of births to Latinas that initiated prenatal care in the first 4 months of pregnancy increased for all foreign-born Latinas in California, New York City, and Texas between 1995 and 1998 (P <.05). Except for non-Dominicans in New York City, there was no increase in the proportion of low- or very-low-birthweight births among foreign-born vs US-born Latinas in the 3 localities between 1995 and 1996.


CONCLUSIONS
There is little evidence from vital statistics in California, New York City, and Texas that PRWORA had any substantive impact on the perinatal health and health care utilization of foreign-born relative to US-born Latinas.
Joyce
T
T
Baruch College, City University of New York, and the National Bureau of Economic Research, New York, NY 10016-4309, USA. ted_joyce@baruch.cuny.edu
Bauer
T
T
Minkoff
H
H
Kaestner
R
R
D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D004608:Eligibility Determination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare / Q000191:economics* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000191:economics; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology