Overview of current state of research on pregnancy outcomes in minority populations.
Pregnancy outcomes improved significantly over the 20th century in the United States but currently vary widely between women of different ethnic and racial backgrounds. The current health disparities that exist are based, in part, only on differences in socioeconomic status or education. There is wide variability in pregnancy outcomes within specific subgroups of women. Disparities may be due to underlying differences in health before pregnancy, differences in community norms, and individual lifestyle choices and to differences in health care delivery systems. Areas for needed research and promising new models of care are reviewed.
Gennaro
Susan
S
School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6096, USA. gennaro@nursing.upenn.edu
D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012106:Research; D014481:United States