Prenatal and Postpartum Home Visits and Postpartum Contraceptive Use: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Reproductive Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The postpartum period is characterized by unmet contraceptive needs for many women.
• Home visits during pregnancy or after delivery can improve postpartum contraceptive use and reduce access barriers.
• This study examines the link between home visits and postpartum contraceptive uptake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between prenatal or postpartum home visits and postpartum contraceptive use.
• To identify factors influencing postpartum contraceptive use among U.S. women.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of weighted survey data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring Systems (PRAMS) (2012-2015).
• Involved 141,296 women across 41 U.S. states.
• Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between home visits and contraceptive use, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• Approximately 21% of women received home visits, and 79% used postpartum contraception.
• Women receiving prenatal or postpartum home visits showed a statistically significant higher odds of postpartum contraception use (aOR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.15).
• Factors such as older age, minority race, lower education, inadequate prenatal care, partner abuse, and multiple stressors were associated with lower odds of postpartum contraceptive use.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal and postpartum home visits are associated with increased postpartum contraceptive use.
• Integrating contraceptive counseling and method provision into home visits could further enhance these programs.
• Strengthening home visitation programs can support women in achieving their reproductive health goals.