[The use of the Health Popular Insurance Program in pregnant women]

To evaluate the use of the Popular Insurance of health (PIH) during the pregnancy and the factors associated with its adquisicition.

From November of 2006 to January of the 2007, women in puerperal immediate hospitalized in the General Hospital of Tijuana, BC were invited to participate in the study. A direct interrogation through a structured questionnaire was applied, exploring sociodemographic variables, variables related to the pregnancy, trimester in which SPS was acquired, consumption of tobacco and alcohol, drug use, prenatal control, complications during the pregnancy, childbirth and time of hospital stay. Descriptive and bivaried analysis was performed to identify association between variables and the use of PIH.

730 women where studied. The average age was of 23-6 +/- 6.3, schooling 7.4 +/- 2.8 years and 72 % cohabitated. Five hundred and forty women (74 %) acquired PIH during pregnancy, 36 women never assist to antennal visits despite to have PIH and only 15 % already had it from the first trimester of pregnancy. Women with SPS had statically significant higher levels of schooling (7.8 versus. 6.8 p = 0.003), minor smoker frequency during pregnancy (1.5 % versus 4.2 %, p = 0.002) and minor rate of premature childbirth (3.7 versus 8.9, p=. 005). The mean catasthropic expenditure in women with not PIH was 2546 +/- 131 Mexican pesos.

Fifty per cent of women acquired the PIH in the third trimester of pregnancy this could be related more to protecting households during periods of financial crisis than for utilization of prenatal care services.