Pregnancy Outcomes Among Asian Americans

PURPOSE: The study examines differentials in various measures of pregnancy outcomes among all Asian Americans (N=328, 890) in the United States. METHODS: Cumulative data from the linked birth and infant/fetal death files for the period 1985­87 were used to study such Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) groups as Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, and "Other Asian and Pacific Islanders." White and black infants were considered as main comparison groups. Race/ethnic differences in pregnancy outcome measures such as perinatal, neonatal, postneonatal, and infant mortality rates, rates of low birth weight and preterm birth as well as those in maternal characteristics (e.g., maternal age, education, marital status, parity, nativity, and prenatal care) were analyzed. SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT FINDINGS: Results of the descriptive analyses indicate important race/ethnic differences, with Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, and "Other Asians and Pacific Islanders" showing generally more favorable pregnancy outcomes and lower maternal risk profiles than Whites, Blacks, and Hawaiians. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: There is substantial heterogeneity among the AAPI groups, with Chinese exhibiting the most favorable and Hawaiians the least favorable pregnancy outcomes. The lower maternal risk profile appears to contribute to the relatively advantageous pregnancy outcomes of the Chinese and Japanese Americans compared to the other groups. The ethnically diverse group "Other Asian and Pacific Islanders" needs to be further subdivided so that specific Asian subgroups within this category, which may be at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, can be identified. RELEVANCE TO ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN POPULATIONS: This study reports comparative analyses of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, and "Other Asian and Pacific Islanders." KEY WORDS: Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, pregnancy, infant, perinatal, preterm, low birth weight