title: Racial differences in the health of childbearing-aged women.
abstract: The incidence of preterm birth in the United States varies by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Given the unsatisfactory reduction in preterm birth with interventions directed at single risk factors, we examined the preconceptional health of childbearing-aged women of different racial/ethnic groups to understand the risk prior to pregnancy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the preconceptional health of childbearing-aged women by examining specific health factors implicated in preterm birth in light of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic factors. We tested the hypothesis that subgroups with historically high levels of preterm birth would have poorer preconceptional health compared to other groups and that the economic influence would be similar across groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a secondary analysis of cross-sectional population-based data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 data sets, including 1,497 of 2,108 eligible White, African American, and Mexican American women. We measured health using select indicators of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, infectious disease, and sexual and substance-use behaviors associated with increased risk for preterm birth and conducted comparisons within and across racial groups. We used adjusted logistic regression by race.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In addition to increased rates of preterm birth shown in the literature, childbearing-aged African American women have poorer overall preconceptional health than the other groups. Measures of socioeconomic status affect preconceptional health differently for each racial/ethnic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racial/ethnic subgroups with higher rates of preterm birth experience poorer health preconceptionally. Clinicians should address preconceptional health risks for preterm birth in all childbearing-aged women, paying attention to racial/ethnic-specific risks identified here.
authors: Nurse-Midwifery Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA. arbourmn@ucmail.uc.edu
authors: Megan W
authors: MW
authors: Arbour
authors: Elizabeth J
authors: EJ
authors: Corwin
authors: Pamela J
authors: PJ
authors: Salsberry
authors: Marsha
authors: M
authors: Atkins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000208:ethnology*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult