The Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index: its US distribution and association with low birthweight.

• DOI: 10.2105/ajph.84.9.1486
• Publication Date: 2008-11-29T13:18:52Z
• Authors: M Kotelchuck
• Keywords: Time Factors; Infant, Newborn; Gestational Age; Prenatal Care; Infant, Low Birth Weight; White People; 3. Good health; Black or African American; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Pregnancy; Birth Weight; Humans; Female

The proposed Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index is applied to data from the 1980 National Natality Survey to assess the adequacy of prenatal care utilization and its association with low birthweight in the United States. The index suggests that only 61.1% of women received adequate prenatal care, including 17.7% with more intensive care; 16.7% received inadequate care. More White women (63.4%) than Black women (51.9%) received adequate prenatal care. Low-birthweight rates were elevated among women with inadequate prenatal care and among those who received more intensive prenatal care.