Adverse maternal outcomes in women with asthma: differences by race.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between race and adverse maternal outcomes in women with asthma.


METHODS
This retrospective cohort study examined 11 adverse maternal outcomes across racial groups of 13,900 pregnant women with asthma (age 13 to > or = 40) who gave birth between 1998 and 1999. The data were abstracted from a national database, The National Inpatient Sample (NIS), available through Health Care and Utilization Project (HCUP) maintained and disseminated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Maternal age and comorbidities were adjusted in multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
For women with asthma, African Americans were more likely than Whites to have preterm labor and infection of the amniotic cavity; Hispanic women had comparable outcomes with the exception that postdate pregnancy was less likely to be 42 weeks; and Asian/Pacific Islander women had a higher risk of having gestational diabetes and infection of the amniotic cavity.


CONCLUSIONS
As adverse maternal outcomes for women with asthma were higher in minorities, and as minorities have traditionally had more barriers to healthcare, the study results indicate that more effort needs to be made to educate nurses, consumers, and government officials about the potential adverse maternal outcomes of asthma during pregnancy. Public awareness may assist in overcoming the barriers to healthcare experienced by minorities.
MacMullen
Nancy J
NJ
Governors State University, University Park, IL, USA. n-macmullen@govst.edu
Tymkow
Catherine
C
Shen
Jay J
JJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000208:ethnology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000208:ethnology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*