The association between severe maternal morbidity and mortality and race/ethnicity with community type in Maryland

Severe maternal morbidity and mortality are increasing in the United States with continued healthcare disparities among Non-Hispanic Black women. However, there is sparse data on the disparities of severe maternal morbidity and mortality by race/ethnicity as it relates to community type.

To determine whether residing in rural communities increases the racial/ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity and mortality.

This study is a cross-sectional analysis of women admitted for delivery from 2015 to 2020. A total of 204,140 adults who self-identified as women, were admitted for delivery, who resided in Maryland, and were between the ages 15 and 54 were included in our analysis. Community type was defined as either rural or urban.

A multivariable logistic regression, which included an interaction term between race/ethnicity and community type, was used to assess the effect of community type on the relationship between race/ethnicity and severe maternal morbidity and mortality. Data were obtained from the Maryland Health Service Cost Review Commission database. The primary outcome was a composite, binary variable of severe maternal morbidity and mortality. Exposures of interest were residence in either rural or urban counties in Maryland and race/ethnicity.

Our study found that after adjusting for confounders, odds of severe maternal morbidity and mortality were 65% higher in Non-Hispanic Black women (odds ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval: 1.46-1.88, p < 0.001) and 54% higher in Non-Hispanic Asian women (odds ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.24-1.90, p < 0.001) compared to Non-Hispanic White women. The interaction term used to determine whether community type modified the relationship between race/ethnicity and severe maternal morbidity and mortality was not statistically significant for any race/ethnicity (Non-Hispanic Black women, p = 0.60; Non-Hispanic Asian women, p = 0.91; Hispanic women, p = 0.15; Other/Unknown race/ethnicity, p = 0.54).

Although our study confirmed the known disparities in maternal outcomes by race/ethnicity, we found that residing in rural communities did not increase racial/ethnic disparities.