Variations in prenatal care quality for the rural poor in Mexico.
Quality is high on the Mexican health policy agenda. In this paper we evaluate the quality of prenatal care for rural low-income women. Women who obtained care from private practitioners and non-MDs received fewer procedures on average. Poverty predicts poor quality; however, indigenous women in private settings received fewer procedures, after household wealth was controlled for. We recommend strengthening clinical skills and providing incentives to adhere to quality standards. Quality reporting could promote informed employer care-purchasing and individual care-seeking choices. The national health reforms should be monitored to determine their success in not only increasing access among the poor and indigenous but also ensuring that such care meets quality norms.
Barber
Sarah L
SL
Institute of Business and Economic Research, University of California, Berkeley, USA. barber@haas.berkeley.edu
Bertozzi
Stefano M
SM
Gertler
Paul J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D044382:Population Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017149:Private Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017150:Public Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors