Measuring birth outcomes in New York State using a multidimensional approach

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Poorer birth outcomes are a persistent public health issue in the US and NYS.
• Understanding county-level predictors is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common and unique demographic, socioeconomic, and health services predictors of low birth weight (LBW), moderately LBW, very low birth weight (VLBW), and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) in NYS counties.
• To inform policy recommendations addressing county-specific disparities in birth outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized secondary data from all 62 NYS counties.
• Employed a multidimensional approach to evaluate common and unique factors influencing various birth weight categories.
• Conducted correlation and multiple regression analyses for each outcome variable.

Main Results:

• Late initiation of prenatal care was the sole significant predictor across all measures of adverse birth outcomes.
• Other significant predictors, varying by outcome measure, included out-of-wedlock births, Medicaid Obstetrical Maternal Service providers, rural location, early prenatal care, advanced maternal age, and teen pregnancy rates.

Conclusions:

• Analysis of birth outcomes at the county level requires consideration beyond just the number of providers.
• Expanded programs supporting adolescents and women of all ages and marital statuses are essential to reduce adverse birth outcomes and their associated human and financial costs in NYS.