title: A perinatal health framework for women with physical disabilities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies suggest that women with disabilities experience health and health care disparities before, during, and after pregnancy. However, existing perinatal health and health care frameworks do not address the needs and barriers faced by women with physical disabilities around the time of pregnancy. A new framework that addresses perinatal disparities among women with physical disabilities is needed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To propose a framework for examining perinatal health and health care disparities among women with physical disabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a perinatal health framework guided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the integrated perinatal health framework by Misra et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proposed framework uses a life span perspective in a manner that directly addresses the multiple determinants specific to women with physical disabilities around the time of pregnancy. The framework is based on longitudinal and integrated perspectives that take into account women's functional status and environment over their life course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The perinatal health framework for women with physical disabilities was developed to inform the way researchers and health care professionals address disparities in perinatal health and health care among women with physical disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Policy and Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA. Electronic address: monika.mitra@umassmed.edu.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Policy and Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA.
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Long-Bellil
authors.affiliation: Center for Nursing Research, Villanova University College of Nursing, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Smeltzer
authors.affiliation: Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, Room 901B, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Iezzoni
mesh_terms: D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: Disability; Framework; Perinatal health; Pregnancy; Women with physical disabilities