title: Racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of placenta previa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of placenta previa among different racial and ethnic groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective cohort study to examine the prevalence of placenta previa among five major racial and ethnic groups: African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic and Native American. We included all deliveries ≥ 20 weeks gestation from a large northern Californian Health Maintenance Organization from 1995-2006. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to control for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 394 083 deliveries in our cohort, 1580 (0.40%) were complicated by placenta previa. The prevalence of placenta previa was: Asian 0.64%, Native American 0.60%, African American 0.44%, Caucasian 0.36%, Hispanic 0.34% and unknown 0.31% (P<0.001). In our multivariable logistic regression model, only Asians (odds ratio (OR) 1.73, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.53-1.95) and African Americans (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.19-1.72) were at increased risk for having placenta previa, compared with Caucasians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asian women have the highest prevalence of placenta previa.
authors: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive, Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. kimlh@obgyn.ucsf.edu
authors: L H
authors: LH
authors: Kim
authors: A B
authors: AB
authors: Caughey
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Laguardia
authors: G J
authors: GJ
authors: Escobar
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010923:Placenta Previa / Q000208:ethnology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk