title: Exploring birth outcome disparities and the impact of prenatal care utilization among North Carolina teen mothers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study investigated the role of prenatal care utilization in explaining disparities in birth outcomes between African-American and White teen mothers in North Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study analyzed birth record data for African-American and White teen mothers provided by the North Carolina State Center of Health Statistics for 2009 (n = 10,515). Hierarchical moderated multiple regression models were completed to explore associations between racial status, prenatal care utilization, and birth outcome disparities amid multiple demographic and medical risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Racial status as African American was identified as a significant predictor for lower birth weight and gestational age in each regression model when accounting for other demographic variables, medical risk factors, and prenatal care utilization. Results illuminate significant associations between higher prenatal care utilization levels and higher infant birth weight and gestational age for the overall teen population. However, these results did not identify protective effects in reducing racial disparities in birth weight or gestational age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given these results, a more in-depth exploration of prenatal care client assessment, education, and alternative prenatal care models is warranted to identify strategies for reducing birth outcome disparities between these populations. These findings also suggest the need for further examination of other potential social and economic factors that explain racial disparities in birth outcomes between African-American and White teen populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Education, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27455, USA. slcoley@uncg.edu
authors.forename: Sheryl L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Coley
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Aronson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D009657:North Carolina; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000208:ethnology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000208:ethnology*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000208:ethnology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data